Respect of Elders

In Tanzanian culture, it is very common and expected that you pay respect to those people who are older than you are.  Whether it is someone who is much older than you are, or even just a few years older, it is not unusual for them to expect to be greeted properly.  In Swahili, there is a word said when greeting someone who is older than you are- “Shikamoo” (Sheek-a-moe).  This phrase literally means “I hold your feet”.  In response, you will hear them say to you “Maharaba” (Mah-hah-rah-bah).  It’s a common greeting for those who are older than you, and it is said as a sign of respect.  Most often, it is used for someone who is clearly older or elderly, and also it is how children will greet any adult.

As an American, this has been one cultural aspect that has taken some getting used to.  In the U.S. there is not really a culture of formally respecting your elders, so there are many instances where I will just greet an elder as I would anyone else.  Because there is a culture of individuality in the U.S., when most people become adults they often will treat everyone equally.  Sometimes people in the U.S. might even be insecure about their age and if they were to be acknowledged as being older by a particular greeting signifying that then they might even take offense.  In Tanzania, it’s quite the opposite.  I have yet to truly understand that if I forget to greet someone who is older with “Shikamoo” if they will take offense.  Usually I just tend to greet people who are senior citizen age with this greeting, because to be honest I sometimes still feel uncomfortable greeting someone not too much older than I am with a greeting acknowledging that they are older.  It also can be a weird experience when I hear students and children greet me with “Shikamoo” because I don’t see myself as what we would typically call an “elder.”  I certainly respect this tradition, but as I said, it has been one of the more difficult cultural aspects to get used to only because it’s quite a foreign concept to Americans.  However, the more I do get used to it, the more I understand and respect it.  It shows a sign of respect for all people and a respect for the tradition that the elders exhibit for those who came before and will come after them.  While it might not become a cultural tradition in America anytime soon, I certainly think it is one aspect of Tanzanian cultural that would have a positive aspect in American society.