There is no place for racism in language

A restaurant in New Zealand serving Asian fare made the news for the wrong reasons recently for featuring dishes such as "Chirri Garrik an Prawn Dumpring" and "Tay's Velly Special Penang Style Seafood" in its menu, sparking criticism that it is being racist.

The restaurant says that enjoying the supposedly hilarious names is "part of the experience", but this does not sit well with many diners. Some people have called the gimmick "shameful" and "super juvenile racist trash."

When does apeing the way a non-native English speaker manages the language become not funny but denigrating, insensitive and offensive?

The line is crossed when the mimicry assumes a holier-than-thou undertone that aims to ridicule, and becomes judgmental, mocking and taunting. As the world becomes more openly diverse and sophisticated, the old "flied lice on Fliday" jibe is no longer funny.

In fact, some foreigners speak better English than many native speakers, as far as accuracy in grammar goes.

One should also ask, what happens when the shoe is on the other foot?

An Australian friend working in China told me how he once he asked for congee, or "zhōu" (粥), and was served wine, or "jiǔ" (酒). The restaurant could not be blamed for the misunderstanding, which he recognised could have been caused by his mispronunciation or accent.

Even a Singaporean friend who asked for "niúròu", or beef (牛肉), was served noodles because the waiter thought he was speaking English.

Singaporeans, by and large, speak good English, and would have felt uncomfortable in our early days of venturing overseas when we received that backhanded compliment: "Oh, you speak good English".

It is not on account of that or because I use pidgin or Singlish these days when I travel that I am often asked if I am from Singapore. It is because I speak with an unmistakeable Singapore accent.

In much the same way, one can easily identify a Japanese, a Filipino, a Hongkonger, an Indian or a European through his or her accent when speaking English. It is not something to feel awkward or embarrassed about.

Instead, it should be viewed as a positive definition and recognition of who we are as a people in our own right. When we meet compatriots in a foreign country, it can also be a source of comfort which facilitates bonding at the same time.

Unfortunately, the term "accent" is usually used to refer to foreigners who do not sound quite like native speakers, as if they were hitting the wrong notes and speaking a strange tongue. Imitating the accent then becomes entertainment because there are people who find it funny.

Again, we forget how the shoe would fit on the other foot.

But time is changing our perspective of the world's diversity. World leaders are preaching inclusivity, and people are becoming more sensitive about relating across cultures, and more tolerant and accommodating of the differences. What used to be funny may now be viewed as being derisive, insulting and divisive.

The noted British actor Peter Sellers' imitation of the Indian accent so hilariously depicted in his 1960 hit song, "Goodness Gracious Me", which he sang with Sophia Loren, was pure entertainment in his day, but today's copycats risk being farcical and offensive. It would not have been half as funny if it was performed by an Indian without the exaggerated accent.

On the other hand, the BBC's excellent radio production of Salman Rushdie's "Midnight Children", set in India, would have suffered a critical loss of authenticity had the players not been Indians, but actors speaking British English or making a poor imitation of how Indians speak.

It is an example of the acceptance that English may be spoken in different accented, as there is no such thing as the correct accent.

Even among so-called native English speakers, you can tell an American from a Canadian or an Australian.

In the United States, New Yorkers and Texans have very distinct accents of their own, as do West Coasters and others of different regions. The British themselves have English, Scottish or Welsh accents, and even county quirks. Not everyone speaks the Queen's English.

English as the world's lingua franca is no longer proprietary to native speakers of the language. As linguist Christopher Brumfit said, "the ownership of any language rests with the people who use it".

The Americans, for example, have developed a recognisable form of speech. In fact, many nations outside Britain, in adopting the language, whether as an official language or an essential business and communication tool, have enriched it.

Singapore's very own Father of Poetry, Professor Edwin Thumboo, echoed this same sentiment when he said, "what is happening now (in Singapore) is that we have taken the language, and it is ours. Now, we put our special words into it. Our spirit, our style, our idiosyncracies".

And while we continue to debate the merits, or lack thereof, of Singlish at home, Singaporean expressions such as "shiok" and "kiasu" have found their way into the Oxford Dictionary.

There is no place for racism in language as a tool of communication. Bad English aside, no one should apologise for the manner in which he or she speaks.

So-called native speakers can no longer claim the copyright and make fun of others who do not sound like them, as we no longer live in bygone times when tea grown in the Assam hills in India became English tea.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Leo is a published author.