Traveler Reflection: Wishy Washy Welsh
There is no doubt that the Welsh are significantly different than the English. Wales is a land thriving in their own local government systems, a place where they have their own national rugby team, and a place where the Red Dragon is raised high in the sky for all to see and admire. However, upon watching the BBC documentary Make Me Welsh, reading select history articles of Wales (which intermingles with the English and the Scots), and speaking with a born and raised Welshman, I have come to the conclusion that Wales is only wishy washy in their Welshness. This statement is controversial, however, the fact that the government of Wales, only recently, decreed that all schools must be taught in Welsh, all road signs must have Welsh on them, and that even official political documents must have a Welsh copy seems very forced to me. The documentary highlighted that these kids must not attend regular school until they learn enough Welsh to be able to function in a classroom setting (in my view that’s neglecting other parts of education that need more focus), the video also highlights that though these children do speak Welsh, they only do so when the have to. On the playground and at home they speak English. They function in every day to day life in English. The taxi driver insisted on the fact that the Welsh language was similar to Latin: dead. He made a point that Latin could at least help with test scores or research later on in life, while Welsh could not. In the eyes of the Welsh taxi driver I met, he believed the government, specifically the north western part of Wales, was forcing Welsh identity down the public’s throats. Both the video and the man believed that English is what is used in today’s world and is what the kids should know, Welsh, was merely a language being forced on them. The readings however, defined Wales as a place that used the
language of Welsh to inspire nationalism. According to the taxi driver it did quite the opposite. Not only did the forcing of the Welsh language raise taxes and had the population pay for new signs, double documents of English and Welsh, and took up time when kids could be excelling in other areas, but it made the general public (excluding north western Wales) identify more as English. They are apart of England’s history and will function in the ‘real’ global world as English speakers. Their heritage instead should be found in history, in their nationalist pride for sports teams, and in their traditions. But it should never be forced. The Welsh people I saw in the movie and in the city of Cardiff seemed to identify themselves as, yes, being from Wales, but they also saw themselves as apart of the English culture. With their attachment to England and the English language (which is used in their universities {not to be confused with elementary - high school}) the Welsh people seem wishy washy. Are they extremely Welsh and identify as being from Wales? From my observations the answer would be no. Rather, they would identify as Welsh in some ways but also as English, maybe some even Scottish. Ultimately producing a Wishy Washy Welsh society.