Posted by hanya on July 18, 2000 at 10:52:30:
In Reply to: survey posted by Oksana on July 17, 2000 at 17:04:22:
: I think that the above survey is a bit confusing, because "upbringing" usually includes language as such. Therefore, a person's vote for "upbringing" should be counted also as a vote for "language". Only then the real importance of "language" will be reflected.
Yes and no, really. Upbringing often includes exposure to one's Ukrainian heritage without any emphasis on the language at all.
In the US, for example, there are many 1st and 2nd wave immigrant families that are sometimes referred to as "festival Ukrainians." They may know a few words such as "dyakuyu; proshu", but not much more beyond that. Yet, they have pride in their heritage and identify themselves as Ukrainian, often attend Ukrainian church, wear embroidered blouses on holidays, etc. Are they less Ukrainian in their "dusha" (soul) for not speaking the language?
Just language alone, on the other hand, is not necessarily a reflection of one's Ukrainian identity. There are enough immigrants and their children who speak the language at home as a matter of convenience, but the children do not have any desire to be identified as anything other than American, or Brazilian, etc.
Language and upbringing can be mutually exclusive, although the notion that a culturally rich Ukrainian upbringing will include language instruction is also true.
So it depends.