Tag: racism

During the Cold War, the US and Chinese governments didn’t drop bombs on each other, but they did drop translated works of literature. In fact, national governments put a lot of effort into creating translations that covertly served their political agendas. In the case of the US, this meant emphasizing values like freedom and self-reliance, with which they hoped to win the hearts and minds of Chinese readers. But while propaganda is meant to convey one simple message, Lamyu Maria Bo argues that literature can’t be reduced to a single meaning – and meanings multiply even more in translation.

What we notice about someone else’s language is less to do with language itself than with our perception of the person’s social status. This happens with kids in classrooms too, where teachers police the language of students with lower social status, while students with higher social status can say the exact same thing and nobody notices. This double standard can lead to Black students and bilingual students of color in particular being put into remedial classes that aren’t meant for them, preventing them from progressing academically. Nelson Flores wants an education system – and a world – that does justice to the many valid ways people use language.

The world doesn’t revolve around you! Many children, and plenty of adults too, have heard this from parents, friends or partners. It’s easy and kinda satisfying to view others around you as minor characters in the drama of your life. But Paula Moya wants us to recognize that this arrogant self-centredness can lead people to believe that everyone else is just there to serve them. Paula argues that Toni Morrison’s novel A Mercy not only depicts harmful arrogance among its characters, but also teaches readers to be less arrogant in their own lives.