--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For someone like you who's a British…" description: "\"For someone like you who's a British citizen this might seem strange. How can you ban a language? It turns out that you can. During the dictatorship it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/jaume-cabre-27345_catalan_for-someone-like-you-who-s-a-british-cit_2483863.jpg" --- # For someone like you who's a British citizen this might… ![“For someone like you who's a British citizen this might seem strange. How can you ban a language? It turns out that you can. During the dictatorship it was illegal to speak Catalan. This is an experience that we Catalans have all had to varying extents. Some more tense than others, but it's…” quote by Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/jaume-cabre-27345_catalan_for-someone-like-you-who-s-a-british-cit_2483863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/jaume-cabre-27345_catalan_for-someone-like-you-who-s-a-british-cit_2483863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/jaume-cabre-27345_catalan_for-someone-like-you-who-s-a-british-cit_2483863.jpg) > “For someone like you who's a British citizen this might seem strange. How can you ban a language? It turns out that you can. During the dictatorship it was illegal to speak Catalan. This is an experience that we Catalans have all had to varying extents. Some more tense than others, but it's something we all share.” [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker highlights that banning a language is possible, citing historical Catalan repression under dictatorship, and notes shared experience among Catalans. **In simple terms:** Languages can be outlawed; Catalans have lived this oppression. Key Takeaway Recognize and protect linguistic rights. Themes cultural oppression language rights historical memory Mood concerned determined Type historical activist When to use this quote - education policy - immigration debates - human rights advocacy - media coverage Key Concepts authoritarianism identity collective trauma Questions to Reflect On - What impact does language suppression have on cultural identity? - How can societies prevent linguistic repression? A Different Perspective Legal bans may be contested; enforcement varies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Catalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catalan/) [Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [Each year, in this world, several languages do die out. There are certain languages that have their survival assured for many years, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/each-year-in-this-world-several-languages-do-die-out-there-are/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [Catalan language is one of the most complete and perfect expressions that I know from the point of view regarding language, I not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-maria-aznar/catalan-language-is-one-of-the-most-complete-and-perfect-expressions/) [Jose Maria Aznar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-maria-aznar/) > [“Serem allò que vulguem ser”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquel-mart-i-pol/serem-all-que-vulguem-ser/) Miquel Martí i Pol > [I am and feel Catalan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-pique/i-am-and-feel-catalan/) [Gerard Pique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-pique/) > [“Tot està per fer i tot és possible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquel-mart-i-pol/tot-est-per-fer-i-tot-s-possible/) Miquel Martí i Pol > [No Catalan citizen and no Catalan company will leave the E.U. That is evident, and nobody can dispute it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/no-catalan-citizen-and-no-catalan-company-will-leave-the-e-u-that-is/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [My mother's Cubana/Irish and my dad's Catalan. And that blows my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prefuse-73/my-mother-s-cubana-irish-and-my-dad-s-catalan-and-that-blows-my-mind/) [Prefuse 73](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prefuse-73/) > [Catalan citizens are peaceful, European, and open-minded. We want to contribute to better international and European governance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/catalan-citizens-are-peaceful-european-and-open-minded-we-want-to/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [Salbitxada is a sharp and lightly sweet Catalan sauce that's traditionally served with calcots - spring or salad onions, grilled whole, make a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/salbitxada-is-a-sharp-and-lightly-sweet-catalan-sauce-that-s/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [There's no alternative to Catalan independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/there-s-no-alternative-to-catalan-independence/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [I could not disobey the will of the Catalan parliament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/i-could-not-disobey-the-will-of-the-catalan-parliament/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [“Molt he estimat i molt estimo encara”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquel-mart-i-pol/molt-he-estimat-i-molt-estimo-encara/) Miquel Martí i Pol > [I first went to Barcelona in 1975 after university, and I stayed for three years. I learnt Catalan because that's what everyone speaks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-toibin/i-first-went-to-barcelona-in-1975-after-university-and-i-stayed-for/) [Colm Toibin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-toibin/) > [It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-was-nice-growing-up-with-someone-like-you-someone-to-lean-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know, there's something about you. Say there's an hourglass: the sand's about to run out. Someone like you can always be counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-don-t-know-there-s-something-about-you-say-there-s-an-hourglass-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by Jaume Cabre > [What I strive to do is make my characters seem like real people so that the reader experiences them as people - that's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/what-i-strive-to-do-is-make-my-characters-seem-like-real-people-so/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [The reader has information about the characters that the characters themselves don't have. We all have our secret sides. Even I come to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/the-reader-has-information-about-the-characters-that-the-characters/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [I read a lot of poetry. All types of poetry, but mostly Catalan poetry, because I believe poetry is the essence of language. Reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/i-read-a-lot-of-poetry-all-types-of-poetry-but-mostly-catalan-poetry/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [Along the way, about certain things, you realize, "I don't know anything about this." You think, "Is this going to sound ridiculous?" So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/along-the-way-about-certain-things-you-realize-i-don-t-know-anything/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [There were many books in my parents' home. I'm from a family of five children and we were all readers. And so by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/there-were-many-books-in-my-parents-home-i-m-from-a-family-of-five/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [“A veces me asusta el poder del arte y del estudio del arte. A veces no entiendo por qué la humanidad se relaciona a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/a-veces-me-asusta-el-poder-del-arte-y-del-estudio-del-arte-a-veces-no/) [Jaume Cabré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [I think that's true of real life - we don't ever know anyone completely. Secrets are very important to creating a narrative work that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/i-think-that-s-true-of-real-life-we-don-t-ever-know-anyone-completely/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [Everywhere you go you find readers who are interested, even though the story takes place here in this very neighborhood. It doesn't matter that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/everywhere-you-go-you-find-readers-who-are-interested-even-though-the/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [I'm interested in how memory and power come together in evil. These are obsessions of mine that appear throughout, like the theme of music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/i-m-interested-in-how-memory-and-power-come-together-in-evil-these/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [Research is necessary. However, you need to make sure you don't fall into its trap. You need to have time left for writing. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/research-is-necessary-however-you-need-to-make-sure-you-don-t-fall/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [The essence of a novelist is to invent things and speak the truth, at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/the-essence-of-a-novelist-is-to-invent-things-and-speak-the-truth-at/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [Each year, in this world, several languages do die out. There are certain languages that have their survival assured for many years, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/each-year-in-this-world-several-languages-do-die-out-there-are/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [I'm always reading, and you learn a lot by reading. When I was twenty-five, I read a lot, but didn't have much reading behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/i-m-always-reading-and-you-learn-a-lot-by-reading-when-i-was-twenty/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) > [I take all my characters very seriously - the main, secondary, and supporting characters. Even if they only appear once, they still need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/i-take-all-my-characters-very-seriously-the-main-secondary-and/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) [Explore all 15 Jaume Cabre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) ## More Catalan quotes > [I first went to Barcelona in 1975 after university, and I stayed for three years. I learnt Catalan because that's what everyone speaks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-toibin/i-first-went-to-barcelona-in-1975-after-university-and-i-stayed-for/) [Colm Toibin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-toibin/) > [“Molt he estimat i molt estimo encara”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquel-mart-i-pol/molt-he-estimat-i-molt-estimo-encara/) Miquel Martí i Pol > [I could not disobey the will of the Catalan parliament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/i-could-not-disobey-the-will-of-the-catalan-parliament/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [There's no alternative to Catalan independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/there-s-no-alternative-to-catalan-independence/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [Salbitxada is a sharp and lightly sweet Catalan sauce that's traditionally served with calcots - spring or salad onions, grilled whole, make a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/salbitxada-is-a-sharp-and-lightly-sweet-catalan-sauce-that-s/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) > [Catalan citizens are peaceful, European, and open-minded. We want to contribute to better international and European governance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/catalan-citizens-are-peaceful-european-and-open-minded-we-want-to/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [My mother's Cubana/Irish and my dad's Catalan. And that blows my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prefuse-73/my-mother-s-cubana-irish-and-my-dad-s-catalan-and-that-blows-my-mind/) [Prefuse 73](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prefuse-73/) > [No Catalan citizen and no Catalan company will leave the E.U. That is evident, and nobody can dispute it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/no-catalan-citizen-and-no-catalan-company-will-leave-the-e-u-that-is/) [Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/) > [“Tot està per fer i tot és possible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquel-mart-i-pol/tot-est-per-fer-i-tot-s-possible/) Miquel Martí i Pol > [I am and feel Catalan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-pique/i-am-and-feel-catalan/) [Gerard Pique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-pique/) > [“Serem allò que vulguem ser”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquel-mart-i-pol/serem-all-que-vulguem-ser/) Miquel Martí i Pol > [Catalan language is one of the most complete and perfect expressions that I know from the point of view regarding language, I not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-maria-aznar/catalan-language-is-one-of-the-most-complete-and-perfect-expressions/) [Jose Maria Aznar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-maria-aznar/) > [Each year, in this world, several languages do die out. There are certain languages that have their survival assured for many years, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaume-cabre/each-year-in-this-world-several-languages-do-die-out-there-are/) [Jaume Cabre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaume-cabre/) [Browse all 14 Catalan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catalan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For someone like you who's a British citizen this might seem strange. How can you ban a language? It turns out that you can. During the dictatorship it was illegal to speak Catalan. This is an experience that we Catalans have all had to varying extents. 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