Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter out of concern for the rapid changes happening in our culture. We all know that culture is a changing process and it evolves with each generation.
However my concern is the rapid almost overnight changes that I see occurring in Guyana. While the politicians are hashing it out they seem oblivious to the rapid changes happening in Guyana. As examples, everywhere one goes in the country one sees obvious faces of Cubans, Brazilians and Venezuelans, and not to mention the Chinese. And as if that is not enough there are the Haitians who blend in with our physical features.
Question: What are the government’s plans to cater to the changing face of Guyana? Are we still going to be the land of many waters, of El Dorado, of Sitaria, of Bamboo Dam, of curry and cook-up, or roti and dhall? What are we doing to retain these time-honoured traditions that make us Guyanese. What are we doing to integrate these new faces and cultures into our society?
Am I the only one noticing that Spanish songs punctuate our airwaves now? Or that the airport is mostly filled with strange faces coming in while the familiar faces are leaving?
This is not an attempt to create contempt for any one. After all Guyanese have always been a welcoming people. My only concern is whether we have a policy of integration when it comes to these migrants. Are they offered English and History classes for example?
I hope the government will stop fiddling and answer. I also hope that the opposition can present some light on their policy towards these newcomers.
Yours faithfully,
Sharir Chan
