Language debate gets tongues wagging
Comments:
I found the commentary by Douglas Todd and Harvey Enchin regarding Chinese language signs in some of the malls in Richmond's Golden Village to be quite interesting. There is no doubt that the owners of these businesses have every right to put up the signs in any language they like.
At the same time, they must keep in mind that we live in a very multicultural community.
As a Richmond resident and com-munity activist I am very proud of the intercultural harmony we have in Richmond respecting one of Canada's official languages, English, for signage purposes is something that is much appreciated by non-Chinese speaking residents and consumers. Also, it makes business sense.
We should be proud of our heritage, including our mother tongue. At the same time, we should also be proud of being Canadian. This includes respect for this country's official languages. English, of course, is the most dominant official language in this part of the country. Thus, putting up signs in both Chinese and English reflects regard not only for a common language but also for all those people whose mother tongue is other than Chinese. As Todd points out, in this diverse and multicultural country we need a common language to flourish.
I found the commentary by Douglas Todd and Harvey Enchin regarding Chinese language signs in some of the malls in Richmond's Golden Village to be quite interesting. There is no doubt that the owners of these businesses have every right to put up the signs in any language they like.
At the same time, they must keep in mind that we live in a very multicultural community.
As a Richmond resident and com-munity activist I am very proud of the intercultural harmony we have in Richmond respecting one of Canada's official languages, English, for signage purposes is something that is much appreciated by non-Chinese speaking residents and consumers. Also, it makes business sense.
We should be proud of our heritage, including our mother tongue. At the same time, we should also be proud of being Canadian. This includes respect for this country's official languages. English, of course, is the most dominant official language in this part of the country. Thus, putting up signs in both Chinese and English reflects regard not only for a common language but also for all those people whose mother tongue is other than Chinese. As Todd points out, in this diverse and multicultural country we need a common language to flourish.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
