An outsider's thoughts on 'plight' of Shanghainese
- By Zachary Lowell
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, December 28, 2015
I read with interest Hai Ge's thoughts on the importance of Shanghainese. I was happy to see a young person show such an interest in the culture and history of their hometown. Also, if I understand her commentary correctly, I am sorry to hear that the author feels there is something missing in her connection to Shanghai and her grandmother due to her inability to speak fluent Shanghainese.
I myself come from a part of the United States called New England, which is known for its many linguistic quirks and distinctive strains of English.
Indeed, when my Canadian wife met my father for the first time, she says it took her several days to understand him clearly. At home, our dialect and way of speaking are very much an important part of our own special culture.
I can't argue with the historical observations Ge makes. I'm sure that several local dialects did coalesce at some point around Shanghainese, enabling communication between people that may have found each other unintelligible in prior generations. Also, the fact that several Mandarin words for foreign things derive from Shanghainese is certainly a testament to the city's history as an important point of contact with the outside world.
As Ge claims: "it is because of Shanghai's inclusiveness that Shanghai achieved today's prosperity." The author goes on to conclude that Shanghainese has historically been an "accommodating" language, but sadly is not being accommodated today thanks in part to policies aimed at promoting Mandarin.
This is all true, as far as I can tell. Yet I wonder if there isn't more to the story of Shanghainese than commentators often suggest. My goal here is not to debate with Ge, or others who share her views, but merely to offer my own thoughts. Over the years, there's been a lot of hand-wringing in the press over the apparent decline of the local dialect.
More globally-oriented
If I may address Ge's argument specifically, if Shanghainese is indeed vanishing, does this mean the city is becoming any less inclusive or accepting? The fact that the author is herself writing in English and a student at Columbia University — placing her among the rapidly expanding cohort of Shanghai-born students who study and travel abroad every year — doesn't exactly suggest to me that Shanghai is headed toward a more insular, closed-off future as youngsters eschew the local dialect.
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