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I remember when I first read about the Treaty of Wangxia being shocked that one of items in the treaty was that China would revoke a law that made it illegal fo

I remember when I first read about the Treaty of Wangxia being shocked that one of items in the treaty was that China would revoke a law that made it illegal for outsiders to learn Chinese. [0] The very idea that it could be forbidden to learn a language seemed nonsensical to me at first, although upon reflection, it must have been a good way to keep foreign ears from prying too much (I believe China's ban on foreigners learning Chinese was more about counterintelligence and less about wanting Chinese speakers to have some deep, authentic connection with the culture). I hate stuff like that hostility between Hopi and Navajo people though. If anything, learning a neighbor's language tends to bring people together! 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Wanghia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Wanghia

dorchadas 6y ago
> I hate stuff like that hostility between Hopi and Navajo people though. If anything, learning a neighbor's language tends to bring people together! I tend to agree, but I also respect the wishes of the various groups. They've undergone experiences at the hands of colonizers that I can't begin to imagine, and if they want to try to preserve something of their culture so that it stays in their culture, and not just let any outsider with a passing interest learn it, I support them in that. Though I do wish more were like the Cherokee Nation, which offers free online courses for anyone across various levels of Cherokee, also integrating culture and such.