This is a superb article that I hope will reach the eyes and ears of every Estonian-Canadian. Grilling or attacking people who don't speak Estonian well, if at all, is very bad form and it seriously hurts communities. Ironically, native Estonians voice that most immigrants who settled in Canada in the 40's and 50's have lost the ability to speak Estonian well.

õige,
ja vastupidi ka, inglis keelt rääkivad eestlased eesti ühiskonnas, ärge alahinnake ja klatshige neid, kes piisavalt perfektselt ei räägi inglise keelt, sest nad on veel eesti keelt rääkivad eestlased ja õpivad alles assimileerumiskunsti. Kõik tuleb omal ajal, ka assimilatsioon.

here here

I actually grow to very dislike my estonian heritage/culture when the estonians are always critizicing about my language thing. then you try and speak, and then they critize the way you speak it when you finally give it a shot.

The person who wrote this article can NOT be considered to be an Estonian Canadian. Sorry, but if you don't speak Estonian then you are not part of our community, period. I don't know if the author of this article is just too lazy to learn Estonian or not intelligent enough. I have always been amazed by how well people in Estonia speak many languages, often fluently. Most of my friends there speak English, Russian and Finnish. Many speak German as well.
I have heard this same argument from these anglophiles for years. They are just a throwback to years gone by when being Canadian was the same as being British. Their goal is the eventual destruction of our community and our assimilation into English Canadia. My Canada includes Estonians and the Estonian language is part of the community that I belong to.
I also question why this person holds an Estonian passport. Are there not language requirements for being an Estonian citizen?

It's adorable the way Peter makes me envision a small child planting their feet defiantly saying they won't eat their vegetables. Peter, you're missing the point here. The all or nothing approach has a clear result. You will get nothing. Still, you and three or four of your friends will undoubtedly sit around in your old age whining as a child might, wondering why nobody shows up at Estonian events anymore.

Dangerous internal enemies? Do you know how crazy that sounds? What the author is saying, is that when someone voluntarily shows up at your door to experience and carry on the very traditions you say are under attack, what benefit is there is telling them \"sure, come on in but you\'re half of what the rest of us are.\"

Since 1991, Estonia is again a free republic. We are no longer refugees in Canada; we are now expatriates. The younger generation of Estonians are well integrated in Canadian society and do not need the support of the Estonian community in the same way that their parents and grandparents did. But, I can say to you, very assuredly, that all persons of Estonian background, young and old, are very proud of their Estonian heritage, their roots, their ‘ fièrté ’, as they say in Québec.

There is little new immigration from Estonia and, indeed all the Baltic communities are struggling with this reality of an aging and diminishing population. The question is how should members of our community support each other today? I say we do it by inclusion, not by exclusion.

Finally, I wonder how many of us can speak the two official languages of our adopted country, Canada, let alone Estonian.

Karl J. Raudsepp
MES President

The majority of the descendants of Estonian refugees are completely assimilated into Canadian society and never seen at Estonian community events. In some respects, it's understandable. For those, the community is a claustrophobic theater rife with hypocrisy.
Harder to understand is the composer of this article who has an obvious interest in Estonian culture, wishes to participate, but doesn't want to put out the effort to learn the language. There is something self-contradictory about this. Language is the core of the culture. It defines an Estonian.
Our community is fast becoming one of people with a common Estonian heritage and, perhaps, this article is actually a plea to hurry that process along a bit.
He just may have a point.

Whether you agree or not with the author, he/she clearly struck a cord. I think its great that people are talking about this, as we all tend to be (relatively) civilized to each other in public, and then air true grievances behind closed doors.

My beef is with our churches - well, mine anyway. All of a sudden the english speaking are no longer welcome. The church, I've been told, is here for the "Estonian community". What about us to who grew up going to an Estonian church, are now married to someone who does not speak (nor has any desire to learn!) Estonian. It would appear that this "being Estonian" has taken on some type of mass hysteria. My wife feels very unwelcome at Seedrioru and now at our church as well. From what I'm seeing, there are a lot of snobish Esto's around. If you are so adamant about keeping your heritage that you can't even be friendly and welcoming to a non-esto, I don't want to be part of your community. Since Estonia is now free, I'd suggest you move back there.

I couldn't agree more about the issue with the churches-bring back the English portion! Don't listen to Peter's rants about "anglophiles" and whatever hate-on he seems to have for the British. I also was very disappointed to see the English disappear. I love my Church and grew up there, but my husband doesn't speak it either. Peter, you are exactly the problem! Your attitude will only encourage people to, as you suggest, find somewhere else to go. And what will you be left with?

Poor, lost, puppy.

A "lovely woman" strikes up a personal conversation and he thinks it's because she wants to patronize and/or exclude him.

People genuinely enjoy speaking and interacting with one another in a beautiful, powerful language and he thinks it's because they want to patronize and/or exclude him.

His parents wanted to save him from experiencing the "challenges" of learning a second language and he thinks we (!) want to patronize or exclude him.

His view of learning Estonian is of having to put his "life on hold" to do it - evidently there would be no possibility of continuing life for him in Eesti -- or here, if he has to listen to that stupid, lousy, useless language that was invented to patronize or exclude him.

He mistakes open arms and open invitations for mean spirited attempts to patronize or exclude him.

Some day he'll understand what a dunderhead he was in his youth (like most of us do, eventually).

In the mean time, let's flatter his vanity by complimenting him on his continuing patience and tolerance for those who can't understand that english is the only language worth knowing in this country.

an estonian elder, a poet, told me earlier this year that when you have love for estonian culture in your heart, that when you can feel it here (as he put his hand to his chest)......You are Estonian.

eesti vanem, luuletja rääkis minule sellel aasta alguses (inglise keeles) et kui Sa armastad Eesti kultuuri ja kui Sa tunned seda oma südames.....siis ei tähenda kes või mis keegi Sulle räägib. Sa oled Eestlane.

Mass hysteria of being Estonian:):)

Estonian's in Estonia couldn't care less about Estonians living abroad. These days Estonia is not looking back over its shoulder as to why Estonians elsewhere don't speak Estonian anymore. It is everyone's right and prerogative to choose for themselves. But the fact that Estonians abroad choose not to speak or improve their Estonian language skills indicates their preferred lack of interest in things Estonian. That is also your right to choose! Recognize however, that you have made that choice and don't fool yourself or others into believing you are an Estonian when clearly you are not.

Heino Jõe once asked the question, (eesti keeles muidugi) "If a lion is born in a cow barn is it a lion or a cow?"

A letter to the editor should not be published without the author's name. Eesti Elu has an obligation to its readers to reveal who wrote it.

By not revealing the author's name, Eesti Elu is not meeting professional standards for publishing letters to the editor.

Debate that encourages us to challenge beliefs and hopefully become more inclusive of others is always welcome.

The author's name is irrelevant, it doesn't add to the debate. The message of the article doesn't change whether you know who they are or not. Revealing their identity will only invite personal attack.

I'm trying to point out that a standard of the publishing profession is not being met by Eesti Elu. Eesti Elu also loses the respect of its readers whenever vicious anonymous comments are posted to the website. Positive change can only be affected through open and transparent discourse. Why so fearful?

I would hope that we all embrace Estonians who do not speak Estonian, as well as the non-Estonian spouses and families of Estonians. I do, however have a well-founded fear, that when less and less Estonian is spoken at our events, our existence becomes more and more in peril!
Remember that there are only 1 mllion people in the whole world, including Estonia, who speak our language. We need to speak it at every oportunity. I do hope that everyone who loves their heritage will make an attempt to learn the language.

Head lugejad. Arusaamatuste vältimiseks olgu selgitatud, et toimetusel on kirja autor teada ja anonüümseid kirju Eesti Elu ei avalda.

Saan kirjutaja muredest aru, aga nagu Jõekääru söögisaali seinalt sai lugeda, "Kui kaob keel, siis kaob rahvas".

Teatame , et interneti toimetusel ei ole artikli autor teada.

Pierre Trudeau in his memoirs: "I believe in promoting a language by promoting the excellence of the people who speak it. There is no question that French - here and abroad - is threatened because of the dynamism of English, especially in popular culture on television. But the question is, do you want to defend yourself by closing doors and coercing people, or do you want to defend your language by making it a source of excellence?"

Trudeau's comment was made when Bourassa, not content with bilingualism, French and English, was angling to make French the official language of Quebec.

Gains are not likely to be made by shoving one 'official' language (Estonian) down someone's throat. And Estonian communities are shrinking quite rapidly. As I see it, No rahvas, No language, No culture. Bilingualism buys us a little more time. Personally I believe in the Estonian Spirit as being more important at this dire stage than mere language. For example, Lonnie Cline in Oregon is English speaking and a choral choir conductor who passionately promotes the music of Vello Tormis. The Portland Estonian organization has an open door policy and they are the stronger for it.

There should be venues for inclusion and other venues for Estonian speakers to be allowed to gather and not switch over to English.
Both sides, including the lady or gentleman writing this complaint need to be a bit more sensitive.
I grew up speaking Estonian in North America and - considering the fact that 90 per cent of my peers spoke English among themselves, it took a lot of doing to speak Estonian at all, to find someone to speak Estonian with, and to find the willpower to continue to try. You really need to be aware of how relatively difficult this is.
Yes, those who like things Estonian should have English language events, etc. I am genuinely happy to see that they are drawn to Eesti. Please be sensitive, however, to how quite difficult it is to grow up Estonian away from the old country. How much effort it takes to not succumb to being an English or a Swedish speaking estophile and little more.
Both categories must derive sustenance - those who would come closer to Eesti through English, and those who absolutely need strong helpings of being able to maintain and develop their Estonian.
He or she who would force the Estonian speakers to switch without appreciating what they are really asking seems to me like a bull or a cow in a china shop, perhaps unwittingly.
If everyone switches to English out of it being easier to speak English to begin with, or out of "politeness" (discomfort) towards the non-Estonian speaker, the end result can be that the ability to speak Estonian in Canada or America etc. going wholly out of business.
The point: think about what you are truly asking or expecting of the others.
Therefore there should be events for both groups, sometimes mixed. One more suggestion: drink about two glasses of wine first, if you are of age. That helps folks relax and get over their shyness regarding new languages. Don't drink more than two, this technique has diminishing returms. Your liver will thank you.
The lady who badgered you may not be much of a psychologist, but you on the other hand may be bringing about the death of an Estonian language environment in Canada. It probably wouldn't matter if we were Chinese, but there are only about 900,000 Estonian speakers in Estonia, many elderly, and a smattering elsewhere. We are an imploding tribe, a tribe with a language not that far from potential language death.

When the Canary Islands were colonized by the Spanish, they pretty much fully assimilated the indigneous Guanche people. The DNA survives, but the Guanche language and almost all of the cultural distinctions are gone. The fact that the DNA is still around is of small solace. The source needs to be kept sustainable.