On Feb. 21, 1952, a massacre killed four people in Bangladesh who were protesting their rights to use Bengal, their native language. The killings sparked a worldwide movement. Since that tragic event, nations have gathered in solidarity to celebrate mother languages.
On Feb. 21, 1952, a massacre killed four people in Bangladesh who were protesting their rights to use Bengal, their native language. The killings sparked a worldwide movement. Since that tragic event, nations have gathered in solidarity to celebrate mother languages.
Sixty-one years later, Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Office of Inclusion and Diversity and Department of Languages and Cultures celebrated International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21 with a free event in the Ragan Theater. The event featured multicultural performances from the Cultural Envoy Leadership Program, representing Native American, Latinx, Asian American, African Diaspora, and Pacific Islander cultural traditions and languages. Other performances included speeches and musical numbers.
“International Mother Language Day is a special occasion that encompasses everyone, irrespective of their identity,” said Dr. Sayeed Sajal, event organizer and assistant professor of computer science at UVU. “Since we all have a mother and a mother tongue, we all have a place in this exceptional celebration.”
On Feb. 23, the Office of Inclusion and Diversity hosted a poster competition highlighting students’ mother languages and cultures through art and design. Competition winners were announced later that day.
A “word wall” was displayed outside the Office of People and Culture, where sticky notes with words written in different languages were scattered across the wall.
“UVU is a place for you,” said Julia Escobar, event organizer and admin for the Office of Inclusion and Diversity. “When students come see their mother language or their culture depicted in a visual format, it affirms their unique identity. Languages enrich our culture, and it’s important for us as a campus to promote inclusion through language.”
International Mother Language Day has been observed worldwide since 2000. It is a national holiday in Bangladesh and has been recognized by the United Nations as a day to “promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.”
