Aarong incident
This is in response to letter written by Ms. Tasnuva Sharmin, published on 23rd August. It may seem unusual but I really cannot agree with her assessment or handling of the situation. As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in another country where the populace knew neither English nor Bengali, I can actually relate to the frustration felt by this American woman. But a lot of the time I did get assistance from other helpful locals who were familiar with English and this helped alleviate my problems. If Ms. Sharmin was fluent in English, would it not have been more prudent/helpful to actually translate for her? I mean she is a guest after all. The American woman's comment , although disparaging, could simply be translated as frustration and lack of understanding of our cultural attire. But is it not up to us to make foreigners aware of our culture, history and social norms? Not everything can be learnt from a guidebook and maybe a little sympathy and communication would have made things a lot easier.
I absolutely agree that we have our own language and are not bound to know a second language but people who do know two languages can always work to bridge any gaps that may present itself in this era of globalisation.
Ms. Sharmin's last comments draw all the wrong conclusions and the words "White American" or "White people" could be interpreted as being racially discriminatory, especially since these are used to describe an incident which really did not have any racial overtones. Maybe it is just us who need to get rid of our inferiority complex.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments