Why do I start my blog with a nationality discussion? Firstly, let us set some kind of a context here. I am going to write mostly about the Czech Republic because I’ve lived here for 10 years. Maybe I will write about some other countries I’ve lived in before (Slovakia, Finland, Canada) but it needs to be stressed that I don’t live there anymore and therefore I can’t be quite objective in referring to them. Also what I hate to be asked is: “So what about Slovakia? I’ve heard it’s much worse there.” So I am saying it right now: I don’t live in Slovakia anymore, so I DON’T KNOW what it’s like there. Maybe it’s worse, maybe not. Ask the people that live there and not the ones who’ve left. Those who've left (including myself) had their reasons and maybe you can guess them. So, we are talking here and now – Prague, Zizkov, 2009. And of course, maybe you will read more about Canada, as it’s become quite a dreamland for me, especially every time this country disappoints me.
I’ve been looking for a job for the past six months. Unsuccessfully. And there are some questions that I’m frequently asked and that I’ve gotten used to: i.e. Why are you here? What are you doing here? How long are you going to stay? I usually answer with the same questions - to be ironic. Some of the people get it, some of them don’t. There’s another question that I’m asked, usually during a job interview: “You are Slovak, and we need someone who speaks good Czech.” I answer: “I’m speaking Czech right now(but with a strong accent) and if you’re unsure about my written Czech, test me.” They never do.
A month later I’m sending a CV and they want to know my nationality, citizenship, age as well as my ID number. What do they need it for? Is it legal? I would understand if they asked for this information if they hired me but if they ask me before it can mean only one thing – this information will serve as a discriminating aspect whom to invite to the interview and whom not.
And so I’ve been asking myself: is it because I have a different nationality and citizenship (but I’m still an EU citizen) or is it because my nationality and my mother tongue are considered one? Why does someone think that you can’t learn another language fluently? We know many cases of writers who wrote in their second language (Kundera, Nabokov, Beckett) – and some of them were even better when writing in their second language. Of course, it needs to be stated that they lived in the country of the second language most of their lives. So is 10 years not enough?
The connection of language and nationality originates from the national movements of the 19th century. Nowadays this is considered language ideology, in simple words - an UNTRUE attitude to language as well as a MISUSE of language. In the 21st century, in the time of globalization, border disruption, multiculturalism and multinationalism, this connection loses its 19th century meaning. However, Central and Eastern Europe is still very far from comprehending this change as well as from democracy and tolerance.
So, the challenge for the next week will be a text in Czech. I’ll welcome any feedback concerning my Czech stylistics.
P.S.: I wasn’t invited to the second interview either.
This is an English translation of the Slovak tex below.
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ahoj miska..toto ja nechapem. ved tak skus nejaku global organizaciu, kde pracuju japonci, ukrajinci, cesi, slovaci, rumuni, fini, anglani, americania, estonci atd...takych je v prahe stale dost.
ReplyDeleteAhoj Peto,asi som mala dodat,ze ja chcem robit hlavne v kulture a ta je bohuzial zavisla na statnych peniazoch a organoch, rovnako ako univerzity.Musis sa teda n to pozriet z mojho hladiska.Nie som technicka a ani sa mi nechce zdvihat telefony len preto,ze hovorim styrmi jazykmi.Na to som nestudovala 10 rokov vysoke skoly ;-)
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the short, hypocritical solution to your problems. Move to Canada. Now.
ReplyDeleteAlright, that's that. Now for the longer and more elaborate answer (assuming the question runs something like "why is my birthplace/adopted homeland either ignoring me or actively discriminating against me?"). Obviously, I don't know the answer to that question -- if I did, I would have moved to Canada already, or maybe back to the States or somewhere, spending my time lyind on a beach and sipping cocktails paid for by the royalties off my best-selling book entitled "Everything you always wanted to know about nationality but were afraid to ask". But I'm still here. Essentially, I think the problem lies in the fact that we (us Czechs, Central Europeans, whatever you want to call us) are still predominantly stuck in the age-old William Humboldt equation where nationality = language and vice versa. In other words, what might look like the civilized version of segregation is really only a remnant and anachronism from a bygone era. Which we can only get rid of by becoming more multicultural. Hence you come to a fork in the crossroads: either you move to a multicultural environment (Canada, Berlin, what have you) or you face up to the challenge and have a go at creating such an environment here. Or you bitch and moan and complain, which is not gonna help anybody, least of all yourself. Or maybe I got it all wrong, dunno.. Anyway, just a thought. Cheers!
David, this blog IS about moaning and complaining and exchanging opinions on this culture. That's why I started it in the first place ;-)
ReplyDeleteoh shit, yeah, ofc, totally slipped my mind. isn't that what the blogosphere/twittersphere (?) is all about in the first place? duh!
ReplyDeletethen again -- where's the promised intellectual debate team?!