Dutch? Mandarin? Sarnami Hindustani? At first, I thought this diverse range of languages reflected on posters and advertisements was solely because we were making our way through Suriname’s International Airport. However, during our 40-minute long shuttle ride into the city, I noticed that this inclusive language and messaging was actually embedded throughout the country. From hearing the Dean speak Dutch to the shuttle driver to seeing the Chinese text that I’m all too familiar with printed onto billboards and shops, I was shocked to find myself in such a linguistically and ethnically diverse country.
Despite often being perceived as a melting pot of cultures, the U.S. mainly utilizes English as the primary language of communication. There is no denying that there is a large immigrant population in the U.S., but from my experiences, unless you’re exploring an ethnic enclave like Chinatown, it’s rare to see a diversity of languages represented through what you see day-to-day. Seeing and hearing this diversity being represented in Suriname was a surreal experience, and it made me appreciate how such diverse populations are proudly represented in Suriname.
This became a learning opportunity for me because of my interest in health communication. Growing up, I saw evident gaps in healthcare communication that often excluded patients from minoritized populations. For example, I often had to translate medical information between my relatives and their providers at doctors appointments. I now realize that this should not be the case, and healthcare institutions should have efficient and accurate interpreter services in place so that children and family members aren’t expected to act as ad-hoc interpreters.
Another observation that surprised me was the emphasis of herbal, medicinal, and homeopathic remedies that are widely used by Surinamese locals and even doctors in the country. Being a child of Chinese immigrants, I am all too familiar with my parents’ preferences for Chinese medications and remedies. However, I also recognize that the U.S. takes a particularly western-centric approach to health and medicine. Herbal remedies are undermined, homeopathic solutions are often viewed as unscientific, and cultural preferences are usually brushed over. To immerse myself in a country where locals embrace herbal remedies and celebrate their cultural connection with them was inspiring, and I hope to learn more about significant cultural practices in my future career.
Efforts that promote multiligalistic representation and recognition of cultural variations are essential to building more culturally competent and inclusive healthcare systems. As an aspiring health policy analyst, I’m grateful to have seen these aspects firsthand in Suriname, and I’ll be sure to remember these takeaways in my future career.
