Cultural Heritage Months are celebrated in the United States to recognize and promote the visibility of specific cultures. These months intend to educate and raise awareness about the country or culture and advocate for particular policies. However, if we examine the concept of Heritage Months from the perspective of the culture itself, it can be seen as somewhat demeaning. Many of the cultures that have designated months were once vast, thriving civilizations that were devastated by imperialism and colonialism. In light of this, it is shameful that we only recognize these cultures for a mere month, as it does little to build understanding or truly honor the rich histories and traditions of these cultures.
Some of the months currently celebrated are African American History Month, Women’s History Month, Irish-American Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Native American Heritage Month, Italisn-American Heritage and Culture month, Jewish American Heritage month, Arab Heritage month and Greek American Heritage month.
Ancient civilizations are incredibly significant to the development of modern society. These civilizations laid the groundwork for our current government, law, and philosophy systems, which still significantly impact our daily lives. Ancient cultures have contributed to science, mathematics, and engineering, enabling us to progress in various fields and develop new technologies. Also, the remarkable literature, systems, and philosophies such as ayurveda, yoga, works of art, music, literature, and architecture that ancient civilizations have produced continue to play an integral role in our day-to-day lives. Many ancient civilizations played a crucial role in preserving rites, rituals, knowledge, and wisdom of the past alive in cultural and written form, passed down from generation to generation, helping us stay aware and grounded. So the question is, how can one sum up centuries worth of history, culture, linguistics, and other contributions to narrow down to a mere 30 days of “celebration?”
Lobbying (read begging) Western societies to celebrate ancient cultures that were cradles of civilization that were destroyed by Western dogma and imperialism is nothing but short-sightedness and a disservice to the ancestors who relentlessly contributed to dogmatic and religious resistance and persecution. Is it not a shame to continue to marginalize Native American culture, for example, and only pay superficial attention to it for a handful of days out of the year? Similarly, should we only think of Hispanic culture by pushing tacos and tequila as a celebration? The ancestors surely would disapprove. Is it fair to group diverse populations under the “Hispanic,” “South Asian,” or “Asian Pacific” categories and labels that did not originate from the diverse cultures themselves?
A few years ago, Morgan Freeman criticized Black History Month and the term “African American,” considering them both insulting and past their due date. He argues that dedicating a month to Black history makes it seem less significant, and the term “African American” oversimplifies the diverse backgrounds of Black individuals. In an interview, Freeman stated that discussing race perpetuates racism and suggests that identifying people solely by their race only makes the issues worse – meaning, instead of actual inclusion, bad policy-making is further divisive. He emphasizes that Black history is integral to American history and advocates for moving beyond racial categorizations. Below is an excerpt from the interview (Moran, 2023).
“You’re going to relegate my history to a month?” he asked in a “60 Minutes” interview with Mike Wallace. “What do you do with yours? Which month is White History Month?”
When Wallace said he was Jewish, Freeman asked if he wanted a Jewish History Month. Wallace said he didn’t.
“Oh, why not? Why not? You don’t want one? I don’t either,” Freeman replied. “I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.”
“How are we going to get rid of racism?” Wallace asked Freeman.
“Stop talking about it,” the actor responded. “I’m going to stop calling you a white man, and I’m going to ask you to stop calling me a Black man.”
It may be too late for those cultures relegated to heritage months. Still, Hindus are falling for this divisive scheme where they superficially want to declare October as Hindu Heritage Month. Proclamations from local governments are plastered on social media as significant achievements, though short-sighted. In reality, Hindus, often known as the model minority, are a highly educated income group in the West, and this is an unprecedented phenomenon that the Hindu himself fails to recognize. Such achievements are possible due to grace, ancient cultural values, and the teachings of a civilization that predates world history. It is an utter shame for any Hindu to be satisfied with the superficial celebration of eating samosas and wearing kurtas to continue to seek acceptance from their former imperialist, colonizing masters.
—
Reference: Moran, Lee. (2023). Morgan Freeman Explains Why Black History Month Is ‘An Insult’ . Huffington Post.