I think my mother tongue is beautiful, but I can’t ignore its ugly history
In a better world, would I speak the languages of my ancestors (Cantonese or Swedish)? Or maybe the language of the people whose land I live on (Chochenyo)? Or does it not matter? After all, I don’t really believe in the concept of “untranslatable;” I think any nuance a specific word might have can be explained using more words, even if it is inelegant.
I can’t believe it doesn’t matter at all, though. Language is so important to culture, and is perhaps the one thing that separates us from the rest of animals, something miraculous we are all innately talented in, compared to even the cleverest birds. I know many people who have studied linguistics, which is the scientific analysis of language (not to be confused with polyglots who speak many languages). It’s very compelling to me.
I speak a little French and even less Swedish. I grew up in the United States; my native language is English. I think in English, I dream in English. I’ve never minded it, because of the usefulness and ubiquity of the language worldwide. Also, a large corpus of literature is available to me, untranslated. (And what isn’t originally in English usually will have multiple good translations.) And a lot of that writing is beautiful. I’ve never been quiet about my love for Shakespeare or Octavia Butler. God knows I’d love to be able to write like that.
The downside of English, is that for the most part, I only have to know English. I wish I spoke more languages. Learning is hard though.
I know that the reason English is spoken everywhere is because of the British Empire (and American imperialism), not because of any innate property that makes it unique as a language. I don’t even want to touch on the atrocities they committed, because there’s no way I’d do it justice. It’s hard to overstate the negative impact of colonialism on the Global South; it’s at the heart of pretty much every problem these countries face.
I hate that the same words I use to express myself have been used as a tool of oppression throughout the years and across the world. They have been used to wipe out the languages and cultures of many, many indigenous peoples. “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” said Audre Lorde. Is the English language one of the master’s tools?
It’s true that words alone, no matter what language, will not bring about real change. We need action. But we need to communicate with each other to take action. Communication is the key to everything. That's why language is important.