When prejudice speaks louder than gratitude

Dear Editor,
Today, I felt ashamed to be Guyanese. Just imagine the scene: 2:30 in the afternoon, the first stop for the Route 47 minibus. A Hispanic family was conversing in their native language. A young Afro-Guyanese woman, seated next to the driver, gestured for them to be quiet with a look of disgust, as if they were outcasts unworthy of existence. But please, do not judge too quickly, what could have been a mere misunderstanding turned into a disturbing incident.
One of the Hispanics politely said to her, “Excuse me if I disturbed you, but we Hispanics tend to speak loudly, often without realising it.” The man might as well have said nothing at all, as his words set off a tirade that continued even after I got off the bus, I can only imagine it carried on. For a moment, I felt like I was in one of those racist neighbourhoods seen in movies. The young woman told the Hispanic family to go back to where they came from, demanded that they speak English because it is the country’s official language, and accused them of coming here only to engage in prostitution, spread diseases, and steal.
The Hispanic man took the insults lightly, as if he had heard them many times before. Sadly, I fear he had, perhaps right here, in a nation that prides itself on being home to six races, or seven if we include the three per cent and more of Hispanics who now live here. Judging by the man’s identification badge, I was overwhelmed with shame, as he was a medical doctor. Only God knows how many lives this man has saved in this multicultural country, built on the blood and sweat of Indigenous peoples, Indian, Chinese, and Portuguese labourers brought by Dutch and British colonisers, and African slaves, the ancestors of the very Guyanese woman who told the Hispanics to go back where they came from. Did she even think for a moment that if we applied that same logic, she, perhaps you, and I, born and raised here but as Afro-descendant as she is, could also be told to return to Africa, the lands of our forebears?
As for the ignorant claim that Hispanics should speak English because it is Guyana’s official language, let me clarify, While English is widely recognised as the de facto official language used in Government, education, and legal documents, Guyana does not explicitly declare any official language in its constitution. English, like Wai-Wai, Wapishana, Portuguese, Spanish, and others, holds no superior status. All Guyanese, whether by birth or naturalisation, and all human beings welcomed by this country, including Cubans, who have trained so many of our professionals, or Venezuelans, who welcomed many of our parents who migrated about 30 years ago during the economic hardships of that period, have the right to speak the language they are most comfortable with, not the one imposed on us by British colonialists.
Fortunately, what I witnessed today was an isolated incident, or at least I had never personally observed such a disgraceful act of xenophobia before. Interestingly, at one point, the Hispanic doctor asked the Guyanese woman about her level of education, but she ignored him and began mumbling that he should mind his own business. I now wonder if she realised he was a doctor and whether that was the real source of her resentment. I hope not, because that level of insecurity and envy would only deepen my second-hand embarrassment.
May God bless the foreigners who come here, leaving behind their homes and families, to work tirelessly in our hospitals, schools, construction sites, and even take on the jobs many Guyanese refuse, jobs that keep this country running. They heal our sick, build our cities, and teach our children, often while facing moments of prejudice and hostility, as I unfortunately witnessed.
And may that young Afro-Guyanese woman never find herself in desperate need of that Hispanic doctor’s care. Not because he would deny her help, but because if even a shred of conscience remains in her heart, she would be haunted by the weight of her own prejudice, knowing that the very people she scorned are the ones she now depends on for survival.

Sincerely,
Erick Smith