Current Freshman in College; This was our first big assignment: Language Memoir
Topic: Language Identity
Recieved a 47/50
I’ am a 7-entree plate in a sense, Chinese, Hawaiian, English, Irish, German, Philippino and Spanish. Roast pork, Bratwurst, Soda bread, Pancit, fish and chips, a Quesadilla and some Kalua pig. Quite the diverse meal I’ am. So many ethnicities, so many different languages, but do any of them really mean anything to me? Just one. I suppose I associate this single ethnicity with myself the most due to the fact that I was raised on paradise itself. Locals all around, Luau's throughout childhood. I also mainly affiliated with my mother’s side of the family, the Hawaiian side, but what really gives me my connection is who the people of my culture are. In light of this, it is said by many scholars that language is identity. In my opinion, this is mainly because the language is everything that the people are. Allow me to explain, we know that the creator is the people, and the product is the language. The product can't be anything the creator is not. For instance; in art, a painting is a display of the mind work of the artist. Nothing else, it can't be any more or any less. A language is an expression of the people. It can't be any more than what the people are and it can't be any less. It holds everything that is the source and all the history of the creators since its birth. My identity is held in the Hawaiian language, and I have 3 reasons for wanting to keep this language alive- bonding, diversity, and culture.
I’m sad to say that I, myself, barely use the Hawaiian language; this is due to decline in use of the language on the island. I only know certain terms and at times, use pidgin. The type of pidgin I’ am referring to is the one that was created when the Hawaiian people had to learn the English language. It’s the mix of Hawaiian and English with shortened pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Through first hand experience, I’ve learned that through language we bond with others, particularly the one’s that practice the same language. Oddly enough, in one instant with me it was quite the opposite. My supervisor’s name is Ann, and she’s about the coolest supervisor you could get. She has what I call little Ann-ism’s, little sayings and actions that are all her own. One in particular I call tweaking, she pushes her shoulders up to her ears and scrunches up her face when something affects her in a bad way. One day, while hanging out with an ex-girlfriend of hers, I learned that Ann hated pidgin. The next day at work I indulged myself by blurting out pidgin statements around her, amusingly watching her tweak out for the first 15 minutes of my shift. “Oh, you geffum? Or you like help?” Luckily for me, she’s nice, but she did have her sweet revenge. Later in my shift I got to enjoy the smell of 409 and other cleaning product fumes while ridiculously squeezing under tight areas no one even pays attention to. She had her obvious discord the language and I had my evident delight in using the language, nevertheless we still bonded. If this language wasn’t here, that would be one less moment shared, and it’s these little moments that make friendships gradually grow, pulling people together.
The Second point I’d like to make is about diversity in the world. I’m sure that you, neither I, want to be in a world where everything is the same. Basically, it’s not fun; on top of this it’s disadvantageous. With diversity you have different assessments, perspectives, backgrounds and so forth, and it’s these new and different opinions, outlooks, and cultures that stimulate us. I have a lot of diverse friends which isn’t hard with Hawaii being the melting pot it is. I love hanging out with all of them. There are the local boys that like to kick back with they’re ukuleles, playing and singing Hawaiian jams at the park in Kapolei. And then there’s those speed-racing Philippinos of mine, always out at some late-night car cruise or another. But when we all mix together and everyone from different backgrounds get to know each other it’s almost too much fun. Just last night I was with so many different cultural classes, at one point I remember we ended up separating into 3 different groups- all with such different conversations going on. By the end of the night we rejoined again, two people at a time would go into a single grappling match. This continued until about 2 in the morning or so. Like I said, too much fun. Diversity is stimulating; this is why I try to keep my own personal fire burning.
And lastly, I’ll tell you exactly what I meant by ‘keeping my own personal fire burning’ and enlighten you on my viewpoint of my Hawaiian culture in relation to the Hawaiian language. For me, my culture is like a cave within myself. And held inside the walls of my cave is symbolic art that’s been left for me by my ancestors. In the center of my cave sits a flame, this flame represents the Hawaiian language. Through the light of my flame I can view all my ancestors have created, each art piece speaking something different to me. This artwork tells me all the lessons, characteristics, traits, and values my ancestors have learned and gained within themselves throughout the decades. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian language is dieing all around us, the flame is smothered, causing the beauty inside my cave to vanish from sight. As I’ve said in the beginning, the language of a culture holds the essence of the people. If I’ am without the language, I’ am without my light. Therefore my cave becomes nothing but a hollow den.
Modernization moves into our lives more and more everyday. Technology grows, globalization is an unstoppable force. The material of the world advances in our lives as the culture dissolves; the origin and essence of who we are is slowly being enveloped, but where there's a will, there's a way. I believe you just need a reason. One of the keys to saving ourselves and our culture from deterioration is saving our language. When it comes down to it, it’s ultimately me that can make my language become an aeonian flame in my life.
(Also Posted on my MySpace)
