Re: same,again

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: : : : : : http://www.ukraine-observer.com/observer.html : : : : Ukraine to Diaspora: Lighten Up : : By Glen Willard : : Two print items caught my eye last week. Together they brought : : some thoughts I've had in my head for some time to the fore again. : : The items both concerned language usage. Specifically, the : : widespread use of the Russian language in independent Ukraine. : : One item was an article in the very entertaining and well read : : magazine WHAT'S ON titled " So, Like, How About Speaking : : Ukrainian". The second item was a letter to the editor in the KYIV : : POST. Both items appear to have been written by Ukrainian : : diaspora. Both items clearly were taking Russian speaking : : Ukrainians to task for not speaking in Ukraine's official tongue. : : What brought this to the fore for me is that (1) I've seen similar : : articles and items in the two years I've lived in Kyiv; and (2) some : : observations I've made in those same two years about Ukrainian : : diaspora. : : Before I start however, a disclaimer of sorts. First, I'm from a family : : reputed to be of Scot-Irish ancestry. Actually. I don't think I'd want to : : delve too far into the subject. Suffice it to say that I'm American with : : no discernible Ukrainian blood and, I think, no axes to grind. : : Most of the Ukrainians I know here in Kyiv are young or relatively : : young. Virtually all speak Russian as they communicate with each : : other and in society. I think most are proud Ukrainians and are : : happy to live in independent Ukraine. I somehow don't think most : : are ashamed of other Ukrainians who speak Ukrainian. I have : : noticed some young people who move to Kyiv and begin : : immediately to attempt to learn better Russian. From this I don't : : read anything unpatriotic. Maybe just a desire to communicate as : : their new peers do. : : Now. I believe it to be a desirable objective to spread the use of the : : Ukrainian language. Programs that encourage its use over time : : will eventually be successful. In the long haul I think this likely. But, : : history tells me that 350 or so years of attempted Russification of : : these lands called Ukraine can't be overcome overnight. Also, I : : understand, that statistics show that slightly over 20% of the : : population of Ukraine are Russian. : : Now. To the Diaspora (capital D this time). Why is it that I get the : : feeling that many disapora have a superior attitude when dealing : : with their native brethren? Is it just me that see this? : : Somehow I don't think disapora Ukrainians are more intelligent or, : : even, necessarily better educated than Ukrainians. I suspect that : : some diaspora, having been taught in diaspora schools in the : : U.S., Canada, or elsewhere, may speak a technically more correct : : Ukrainian than many Ukrainians. I'm confident that most diaspora : : are far wealthier and have far more disposable income than typical : : Ukrainians. I'm also confident that most diaspora that today visit : : Ukraine (and I mean visit, even though the visits are sometimes : : lengthy) have never lived under a totalitarian government. Maybe : : some of their grandparents did. But, everyone in this land over the : : ages of 18 to 20 has some recollection of oppression and a : : closed society. : : I've seen and heard disapora Ukrainians laughing and being : : condescending to Ukrainians. I've seen them mock some customs : : as though Ukrainians didn't know the "real rules". They seem to : : forget that in this vast land with its many regions and subregions, : : there are many and differing customs. It's not only the Russians : : that have been here but also the Poles, the Austrians, the : : Lithuanians among others. The "one size fits all" of the disapora : : education may not fit the collage of people and customs that are a : : part of this country. : : Now, I want to quote for a moment a part of the letter to the editor : : writer to the Kyiv Post as perhaps illustrative of what I mean by a : : condescending and superior attitude. The letter writer is from the : : U.S. "Poles don't speak Russian and don't crave to unite with : : Russia, and Russians don't speak Ukrainian and don't want to be : : called Little Ukrainians. Why is it wrong for the diaspora to demand : : a similar attitude of Ukrainians?" : : Did the guy say "demand"? Whose Army is he leading? "You boys : : can step back now, the disapora is here. We'll lead this fight. But, : : we demand you follow us." Gimme a break! Is he Napoleon or : : Custer? Maybe in reality he represents the people referred to in a : : famous pamphlet written sometime back..."the summer soldier : : and the sunshine patriot". : : Really, from America he could join a real fight and maybe be of : : some help to Ukraine and a few of us expats too. Teach people : : there about Ukraine. Teach that it is, outside of Russia, the largest : : nation in Europe. Teach that it has 50 million well-educated : : people. Teach that it is an independent nation. Teach that it is a : : democracy with growing pains, but a democracy, nonetheless. : : Spread the word Disapora. To all the lands. Then one day some of : : us can tell people we live in Ukraine. We can tell people we live in : : the beautiful capital city of Kyiv. And not have the response---"So, : : how are things in Russia? Kee..what, huh, is that near Moscow? : : To join a discussion on DIALOGUE AND DEBATE, CLIC : : We appreciate that our readers have approached this topic with such enthusiasm, and are especially pleased that the discussion participants are seeking out published material to post to these pages. However, please be aware that reposting articles without specific permission from the source is in fact a violation of copyright law, even if you indicate the name and URL of the source. : We have requested and obtained copyright permission from The Ukrainian Observer to leave the above item on the bulletin board. In the future, however, we ask our readers to consider just including an article title, possibly a short quote, and a pointer to the URL for the full text. Alternatively, you can acquire the permission to repost and indicate the permission as part of your submitted entry. : Thank you, : the management : :)

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