LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (12/17/95)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Let Ukraine's citizens decide

Dear Editor:

Tamara Koropet'ska's first (and now infamous) letter spawned a multitude of oftentimes bitter responses from members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the West. Unfortunately, her second letter (November 26) demonstrates she still does not understand the tenuous position of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine. A recent manifesto by Ukraine's intelligentsia (The Weekly, November 19) in fact warns of an increasing threat to Ukrainian language and culture. Ms. Koropetska should therefore not be surprised at the response, nor should she expect her version of "language rights" to be universally accepted by those who rightfully fear for the continued existence of our language.

Although I may not be "politically correct" for stating the following, I hold firmly to it: Ukraine at this moment cannot afford the luxury of "equal rights" for all languages - as if it were self-evident that any language has "rights" in the classical sense of the word. Since any language in all its various manifestations (including song) is the major transmitter of culture for a given people, it follows that it is the existence of the Ukrainian national identity that is threatened in the current situation. As such, the Ukrainian language deserves preferential treatment in Ukraine - this is only natural and right. Anything less will eventually lead to cultural suicide.

To be fair to her, however, Ms. Koropetska does have at least one important point to make. It is clear, as she contends in her second letter, that the Ukrainian language has benefited from the fact that English is not the official language of the United States. As such, Ms. Koropetska is correct to assert that American citizens should not dictate to their Ukrainian citizen employees in Ukraine what language should be spoken on the job. Moreover, there are indeed "better and less offensive ways to encourage the use of Ukrainian among the citizens of Ukraine." That these less obtrusive ways demand more effort, patience, resources, and, of course, a better command of the Ukrainian language on our part, is by no means an argument against them.

And this leads to my own point. I, for one, am concerned about the virulent tone of some of the responses to Ms. Koropetska's first letter, and suspect she may have brought to the surface the deeper angst many Ukrainian Americans feel over their own imperfect command of the Ukrainian language.

For example, it never ceases to amaze me how some in the diaspora, who can hardly finish a single sentence in Ukrainian without a mistake or an Americanism slipping in, feel themselves perfectly justified to dictate to the citizens of another country what language they should speak. How many of us in the United States, especially those who were born here, have struggled to sustain a conversation fully in Ukrainian without reverting (at least partially) to English after only a few minutes? And no, this is not the result of a policy of "Englishification" in the United States, nor would the situation be much different if Ukrainian were alive and well in Ukraine. How well do American citizens of German extraction speak German?

Clearly, we have a long and difficult task ahead of us to support the restoration of the Ukrainian language to what many of us feel should be its rightful position in an independent Ukraine. Moreover, it is not wrong to encourage the Ukrainian government to establish a policy that gives preferential treatment to the Ukrainian language.

However, it cannot be emphasized enough that Ukraine and the Ukrainian language do not exist simply to satisfy the ideas of people who live abroad and who have not endured that which the citizens of Ukraine have. Past injustices against the Ukrainian language and its people notwithstanding, this still may not warrant the imposition of foreigners' expectations. We may encourage and support them, but we should also permit the citizens of Ukraine to make their own decisions. This is the very least they can expect from us.

Alexander R. Sich
London

Ukraine suffers from low self-esteem

Dear Editor:

Tamara Koropet'ska is the one who doesn't get the message (November 26).

How would we function without the English language in the United States? Could we go through the educational system without knowing English? Could we work in professions or work for corporations or the U.S. government or in universities without knowing English? In France, could one function professionally without knowing French, in Germany without German, in Poland without Polish, in Hungary without Hungarian, etc.? That is normal.

What is abnormal is the situation in Ukraine, where the citizens and the government function by using their neighbor's language, afraid or ashamed to use their mother tongue. This abnormal situation is what concerns us.

We know that the Russian language, literature, history and culture are held in high esteem in Ukraine, instilled in them by the educational system. But what about Ukraine's own language, literature, history, culture? The little the people were taught was done to implant shame and a sense of the worthlessness of their own culture. This seems to continue even now in independent Ukraine. This concerns and worries us!

Russian is thriving well in Ukraine without Western support - the great majority of periodicals and books are published in Russian. This is abnormal and it worries us. Can a nation with low self-esteem survive?

Valentina Limonchenko
Arlington, Va.

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