Eastern welcomed students, faculty and staff to celebrate International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on Feb. 21. The event celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as the Bangladeshi history in which the celebration was originally dedicated.

The event hosted a day of activities, including trivia, international snacks, a scavenger hunt, and interactive games. Attendees included various interested students as well as faculty from the Departments of World Languages and Culture (WLC), English and Computer Science, as well as the J. Eugene Smith Library. This coalition of faculty, staff and students represented more than seven languages, including French, Spanish, and Bangla.

Dr. Michèle Bacholle, the only full-time French language instructor at Eastern, led trivia that expanded students’ knowledge on various languages and cultures, as well as the history of the celebration. “Language is part of your identity,” said Bacholle, who emphasized that celebrating mother languages includes English and all other languages spoken at Eastern. “It’s cultural and it’s political.”

A common theme throughout the event was the integral role language plays in one’s personal and cultural identity. “Everyone has a mother, a father, and a mother tongue,” said computer science Professor Sarah Tasneem, who gave a heartfelt speech regarding the history of her home country of Bangladesh, which IMLD was originally designated. “This day has become a platform for all of us to celebrate our own heritage and our own culture.”

IMLD, known in Bangladesh as Ekushay, commemorates those who lost their lives during the 1952 linguistic rights protests at the University of Dhaka. After the fall of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan was given control of both Bangla-speaking East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and Urdu-speaking West Pakistan.

Public outrage erupted when the Urdu-majority government forced Bangla-speaking East Pakistan to use Urdu as their official language, which sparked peaceful protest at the University of Dhaka. During the protest, police opened fire on civilians, killing several protesters.

The tragedy ignited four more years of activism and protest until 1956, when the government recognized Bangla as the official language of East Pakistan. Bangladesh gained full independence in 1971. In 1999, UNESCO declared Feb. 21 as IMLD to commemorate the struggles of the Bangladeshi fight for linguistic rights.

The IMLD celebration “reminded us that language, thought, and culture are inextricably intertwined,” said Professor Kin Chan, department chair of world languages and culture. “We are further developing the awareness that we are not alone in the world, that all languages have a contribution to make to the intellectual and cultural richness of the world.”

Another common theme was the connection between languages and cultures. “I view languages as roots,” said Maria F. Arradondo, a senior studying art and medical interpreting in Spanish. Arradondo, who designed the event’s poster, illustrated this idea by depicting languages as the roots on a tree.

IMLD provided students with an opportunity to explore other cultures and languages while celebrating their own. “It was gratifying to see so many students and faculty in attendance,” said Chan. The Department of World Langues and Cultures aims for students to “understand the broad range of cultural perspectives in the world and to prepare them to become responsible and productive citizens in an increasingly global community.”

“Everyone has unique identifiers that should be celebrated,” Tasneem explained as she delivered her reflection on IMLD’s significance. She urged those in attendance to “take pride in your own heritage.”