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features@seren.bangor.ac.uk FEATURES SEREN October 2001 19Vive la difference?The New Republican explores the English/Welsh divideI’ve just finished watching aheated debate on the existence ofWelsh racism, if such a thing existsat all. Being an English-speakingWelshman, like so many of myfriends (who like me have at leastone parent who’s English), I think Ican offer an informed view on whythere’s all this tension between thetwo camps. Now it’s important foryou the reader to realise that themajority of Welsh and English geton really well, it’s just a few groupswho cause the problems. This articleis not intended to be racist,offensive or derogatory to Welshpeople, many of whom are a creditto the country.The argument started whenSimon Glyn, a Plaid Cymru councillor,made some allegedly racistcomments concerning the influxof English people/speakers and thesubsequent erosion of the Welshcommunity life in a cultural, linguisticand social/economic (higherhouse prices) sense.Now Mr Glyn and others likehim have a point. The Welsh languageis in the minority and toan extent is endangered. As manypeople have said, the defence ofa minority culture is not a racistthing. It’s how you go about thesaving that counts, and I’ve learntover the years that when you’retrying to accomplish somethingthe worst thing you can do ispiss people off—because pissingoff enough of them will lead to astorm which clouds the very issueyou’re trying to address, and secondlywill more than likely comeback and bite you in the arse (twothings Mr Glyn has had to dealwith). From a Welsh standpoint Iwould feel that Mr Glyn and othershad in fact damaged the cause,whatever their positive meanings.Remember, the road to Hell ispaved with good intentions.As both an Englishman and aWelshman I’m very disappointedthat when such comments areraised, some Welsh people bringup English “imperialism, occupationand oppression” as reasons forWales’ plight. In fact, it offends me.These people have no idea whattrue oppression or occupation are.True oppression is when you speakup for your beliefs then get hauledaway by the secret police, torturedfor days and are then murderedor used as slave labour until yourbroken body gives in. True occupationis when you and your wholevillage are shot as punishment forresistance actions against the occupiers.To my knowledge none ofthis happens in Wales.And the imperialist claim? NeedI remind anyone that Wales, beingpart of Britain, was just as enthusiasticas the rest of the Isles aboutproviding men and resources toconquer a quarter of the planet?To be positive, despite whatpeople say, the Welsh language willnever die out. It’s too well documentedin millions of dictionariesand texts to simply disappear, andsomeone, somewhere, will alwaysspeak it. It’s when a Native Americanlanguage disappears off theface of the earth as the last tribesmandies that you should feel somekind of a tragic loss. Don’t worry,Welsh is here to stay in one formor another, and if we play our cardsright, might even increase in popularitywith positive promotion oftourism and culture (which is whynegative language concerning outsidersis never helpful, whetherdirected at the English or not).Comments from certain nationalistshave been regarded as offensive,hostile or so close to the edgethat even a slight breeze wouldsend them over. And the real shameof it is that by now, I’m used to it.In my secondary school we weresegregated according to language.Two classes for English and fourfor Welsh. A lot of the barrierswere lifted as we grew older andmaturity rose, but from the earlyyears nasty comments were stillmade towards the English-speakers.Indeed even during A-levels,with mixed classes, the EnglishandWelsh-speakers stuck to theirown little groups at opposite endsof the common room. And that’sthe saddest part of it.Forget the anti-English peoplesentiment, that’s not really the cruxof the matter. What it boils downto is the English language/culture.Most of us at school were born andbred in Wales: it was the languagethat separated us.Even now at University, the samevoluntary segregation applies. Mostof the Welsh students are in NeuaddJohn Morris Jones. They say thatthis allows them to preserve theirculture, language and way of life aswell as sharing a friendly communityspirit. This is true. But if youfollow this logic then you’d haveto give separate halls to Asianstudents so they could maintainthe same values. Ditto Europeans,Latin Americans, Africans, Christians,Muslims, Jews and so on.Of course if I were studying in“The defence of a minority cultureis not a racist thing. It’s how you goabout the saving that counts.”Europe then I’d prefer to live inan English hall, I’ll admit that. Butone of the most attractive thingsabout Uni is meeting new peopleand making new friends, whatevercountry or culture they come from,leading to a greater understandingand appreciation of their languages,cultures and lifestyles. Thisis easier if they live with you.Some Welsh people moan thatEnglish students don’t take anytime to learn Welsh or appreciatethe values mentioned above. Toquote English mates: ‘how are wemeant to learn and share this stuffwhen the Welsh guys keep themselvesto themselves? Maybe if wehad Welsh people among us wewould make the effort, but sincewe live with just English students,what’s the point? They accuse usof not making an effort, but if youask us it’s a fifty-fifty blame, andthis self-segregation doesn’t help.’Hmmm, fair enough. I’m inclinedto agree about self-segregation,but I think we in Bangor will haveto live with it, as closing down JohnMorris Jones would cause such anuproar. Still, point made.I can speak Welsh fairly wellbut choose not to. I’m rusty andI’m getting worse, but you knowwhat? I don’t really care. Is thatwrong of me? Well, that’s up toyou, but it is a result of the divisionsI have described above. Ifound out that despite my Welshbirth it was my first language ofEnglish that defined me in somepeople’s eyes, leading in rare casesto the negativity associated withbeing “English.”And so in my own way I choseto rebel. I said “OK then, you wantto play it that way, fine. Screwyour language.” Thus I turned tomy English side, and, dare I say it,I’m sure that’s what happened withmost of my English-speaking Welshfriends, as well as being the attitudeof a lot of English incomers.I must stress that I do not regardmyself as “English,” just as I do notregard myself as “Welsh.” I am British.While the Union consists ofsemi-autonomous states we all fallunder one government, one flagand one country—Great Britain.We are all the same in manyways and this is why, to quoteCartman, “nationalism pisses meoff ”—be it Welsh, English or anyother. We are all equals and allof the same people. There is nothingwrong with patriotism. Indeedsome of our differences can beour greatest strengths—so long asit’s kept in perspective that weshare more similarities than we dodifferences, and national feelingdoesn’t just boil over as it sometimesthreatens to do in Wales.What I’m trying to get at is thatwhen you look at what’s going onin the world today, with economicrecession, suffering, starvation andnow the troubles in Afghanistan, itkinds of puts our little debate intothe perspective it deserves.It is for all the above reasonsthat a Union Jack hangs above mybedroom doorway. It is a testamentto my faith in the Union of GreatBritain and how triumph can comeout of coexistence and co-operation,rather that division and rivalries.So just remember that moralthe next times this racism debateemerges, because it is that messageand the positive spirit it promotesthat could save Wales morethan anything else.Opinions expressed are those ofthe author and do not necessarilyreflect those of Seren or theStudents’ Union. Seren is happyto receive reponses for publication,which should be sent toletters@seren.bangor.ac.uk.