Tattooing in a Foreign Tongue

I have never had a tattoo nor have I ever really contemplated having one. I have had a couple of friends get some and for the most part they are pictoral rather than word related simply because a picture can express a thousand words but they are generally not that bad. However, a popular choice among those getting their first tattoo is to have something tattooed in a foreign language. I suppose it's a way of having a taste of the exotic and looking much more culturally refined but sometimes these decisions can backfire; and backfire badly.

Case in point; a young woman in England decided to pay tribute to her mother by having 'mum' tattooed on her back in Chinese caligraphy. Two years later she happened to be walking down the street when a Chinese woman began saying something along the lines of "evil, evil, very bad." Now if that wasn't a troubling sign then I don't know what is. So the young woman decided to inquire with some Chinese people as to what the meaning of the tattoo was and it turned out that it actually said, "Friend from Hell". Now the young woman promptly had the tattoo covered over with a larger and more generic leaf design which covered the evil message previously plastered on her back but it brings up a very interesting point about what I consider the exploitation of other cultures.

I think it's wonderful to have an appreciation of other cultures. I will never profess to understand all the nuances of the varieties of cultural practices out there but I try to learn a bit about each one that I have opportunity to be exposed to. You learn to appreciate things more when you understand the reasons behind certain practices. While wanting to bring greater exposure to certain aspects of a different culture, one should be careful that the exposure remains complimentary rather than serving to exploit. An example, a few years back there were a couple of sandal manufacturers who came under fire for having images of Hindu gods printed on the bottoms and soles of their sandals. For devout Hindus this was akin to stepping on an image of God and treating it like common footwear. For the manufacturer it was a chance to cash in on the symbology and appeal of Hindu related items.

Similar things have been going on for years with Chinese and Japanese cultures and culturally related items. Thanks to martial arts movies, the Ying Yang has gone from a symbol of peace and balance to a sign of martial arts. While this association isn't necessarily bad, it takes away from the actual meaning. Perhaps some of the people being asked to create tattoos in their respective languages feel a sort of resentment for being asked to print their language on someone else's body for the sake of amusement. I am a Hindu but I would still hesitate to ever get something inked onto my body in Sanskrit or Hindi because I wouldn't be able to read it myself. That's not good.

I'm not saying that only the Chinese have the right to have their language tattooed onto their bodies nor am I saying that they or other foreign language speakers have the right to use non-speakers as the butt of one of their jokes, especially in a case like this, but I am saying that I understand part of the reason for their wanting to 'lash out' at people. Perhaps this young woman in England had a real respect for the Chinese language and symbology but now she'll probably be less trustworthy and open to learning more because part of her experience has been tainted by this action.