The Crisis of Minority Languages

by Mao Chinen

It is said that there are 6,000 to 7,000 languages in the world, but some languages about 2,500 are exposed to crises of extinction now. Languages that face the possibility of extinction are divided into four kinds by the UNESCO. There are four levels in evaluation of extinction risk: “Vulnerable,” ”Definitely Endangered,” “Severely Endangered,” and “Critically Endangered.” There are eight languages in Japan identified as candidates for extinction; Uchinaguchi corresponds to “Definitely Endangered” (Hayashi 2014). Uchinaguchi is an indigenous language of Okinawa. It was once widely used by the people Okinawa. However, Uchinaguchi is near extinction. What happened to Uchinaguchi? Unfortunately, it is true that minority languages including Uchinaguchi have been vanishing away. Minority languages should be protected. Firstly, if a minority language vanishes, the speakers of the language of identity will be disappeared. Secondly, the human rights of speakers of minority language will be lost. Finally, diversity of thought will be diminished. Today, I will use Uchinaguchi as an example and highlight the importance of saving minority languages.

First, language is connected to a person’s identity. Minority languages that disappear mean the speakers identity also disappeared. Okinawan people who are called “Uchinanchu” speak both Japanese and Uchinaguchi. However, today, people use less Uchinaguchi in spite of living in Okinawa. Strictly speaking, they often use a language that is a mix of Uchinaguchi and Japanese. As a result, the history and identity of Uchinanchu fades away. If someone asks Okinawans “What is your nationality?” most people probably say “Japanese,” not “Uchinanchu.” Their answers suggest that the culture and language of Uchinanchu is vanishing. Language is associated deeply with one's identity because language also expresses the identity of the person at the same time it is difficult to understand many things if identity is not established. For a language to go extinct would lead to the destruction of the identity of a person.

Second, human rights of speakers of minority language would be lost by vanishing minority language or prohibiting people from using it. During World War II, Okinawan people were banned from using Uchinaguchi. If an Okinawan used Uchinaguchi, Japanese people and soldiers suspected them of being spies. Some Uchinanchu were even killed by the soldiers. And then, if a student spoke it in school, he was punished and had to stand in the school’s main corridor with placard hanging from his neck, identifying him with a dialect card. This card signified disobedience. Not only in war, but also after the war, “The dialect crusade” was carried out. In 1972, Okinawa became a part of Japan, and the Japanese government thought that the dialect should be removed from Okinawa. A dialect removing movement continued until Okinawa was returned to Japan.

Finally, the removal of language means that diversity of thought will be diminished. Of course, if there is only one language in the world, it is easy to communicate with each other. When we meet a person for the first time, a common language is good for us. However, when we engage in thoughtful introspection and critical reflection, we also return to our native language which allows us to access the memories of experience in our culture. This kind of thinking is very different from communicating socially with other people. If one’s culture is different from another’s, the way of thinking is also different. Culture is also associated with language and our ways of thinking (Kawabata　2012). Okinawan people have a unique culture. They have a word, “Nankuru-naisa.” The word means “Don’t worry, be happy!”

Thus, there are a lot of cheerful and friendly people in Okinawa. But if Uchinaguchi is expelled from the world of living languages, our culture and our way of thinking will be lost forever. Extremely speaking, there won’t be any more persons in the world who are cheerful and friendly in the particular ways that we are!

In conclusion, there are other languages that are in danger of becoming extinct. Cornish used in England, Boruca used in Costa Rica and so on. These two languages are corresponded to “Critically Endangered.” In other words, these languages are even more likely to become extinct than “Uchinaguchi.” What should we do to protect these languages? The method that we do to prevent minority language from disappearing is certainly to participate in “Endangered-language movement,” and listen to the local radio and talk to native speakers of minority language. If you think and move consciously, the world will be able to change in positive ways!

References

A. Hayashi (2014). “It is not other people’s affairs. What are five world languages in the crisis of the extinction and reason?” Triport-campathy travel magazine retrieved January 3,　2016　from　CAL　database　at

http://blog.compathy.net/2014/05/29/languages-in-danger/

H. Kawabata (2012). “Why do we have to protect seriously endangered language?” National geographic retrieve January 12, 2016 from CAL database at

http://natgeo.nikkeibp.co.jp/nng/article/20120702/314563/?P=3