Hello! West Hartford Event on April 30th

“Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The last time you were checking out a book at the library, you may have noticed a sign indicating how to say hello and welcome in another language. Those signs are part of Hello! West Hartford, a language initiative started by resident Bepsie Perry last year and run through the town group Community Connections. It’s a simple and novel idea--every month you’re exposed to a different language and learn its greeting.

I sat down with Bepsie to find out more about Hello! West Hartford.   

According to Perry, the purpose of Hello! West Hartford is to appreciate the ethnic diversity throughout town. Given that there are 68 languages spoken throughout West Hartford, there may be a lot more diversity than noticed by the casual observer. Community Connections and Perry saw an opportunity to connect the various groups throughout town. “How do you connect? You say hello.” Each one of the languages used in Hello! West Hartford’s signs are one of the 68 spoken in town.

The point behind learning a few popular phrases is that it may be a gateway to a greater appreciation of the town’s rich ethnic makeup. “It’s deeper than just hello. It’s a real connection to the culture.” To further the connection to the culture, each month a different community organization sponsors a language that represents some portion of its constituency. Some of the languages that have been featured so far are Russian, Hebrew, and Urdu.

Beyond the language signs, Hello! West Hartford has expanded to included videos produced by Be the Media (a project of WHC-TV) along with additional activities put on by that month’s language sponsor. On Monday, April 30th, Hello! West Hartford will be celebrating its one year anniversary by putting on a gala at the Town Hall from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

The evening, coined A Year in Revue, will include food, dancing, singing, videos and speaker Richard de Meij. Area representatives, including Mayor Scott Slifka and State Senator Beth Bye, will be in attendance. Perry views the gala as a way to thank all those who have sponsored and participated in the Hello! West Hartford initiative so far. Thrilled by the support, I asked Perry a few more questions to shed light on the project and its future.

What are you hoping to accomplish with A Year in Revue?

We’re hoping to increase awareness of the rich cultural backgrounds in our town and to open welcoming doors to all citizens in West Hartford.

What are some of the community groups that will be at the event?

There will be various groups displaying many of the languages and cultures and different programs in our town. Some include the Early Childhood Partnership, Hopeworks, UCONN School of Social Work, and West Hartford Community Television's "Be the Media.”

There will also be cuisine from Cora Cora, Blue Elephant Trail, Bombay Olive, Gyro Palace, Joey's Pizza and more!

How would you rate the reaction so far to Hello! West Hartford?

Everyone in town has been enthusiastic and endorsements have come from the Mayor, West Hartford public school system, board members, several private schools, many business owners and residents in town. 

Moving forward, how would you like to see Hello! West Hartford evolve?

I would like to see Hello! West Hartford grow to be recognized throughout
the town.  The intent is that the program helps all residents feel they are a vital part of our town.

In your opinion, what’s the best thing about Hello! West Hartford?

That it’s a volunteer-driven program that has strong support throughout the community.

What have you learned over the last year with this project? 

Over the past year we have learned that this program has reached many and we need active volunteers who believe in its message to sustain and build Hello! West Hartford.

How can people get involved with Hello! West Hartford?

You can contact hellowesthartford.org or hellowesthartford@gmail.com and come
to Hello! West Hartford: A Year in Revue. Our next meeting following our event
will be May 7th at the West Hartford Town Hall in room 422a. Please join us!

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 “We invent the world through language. The world occurs through language.”-Mal Pancoast