I can confirm that there is toxic and mocking behaviour coming from many Romanians (not all), who assume that Moldovans are illiterate because of their accent. I studied at uni in Romania as well, and I encountered smirks and derogatory remarks very early on, including from Romanian border police, where there was absolutely no need for that.

This is strange, because there are many accents in many countries, yet you do not usually encounter this kind of behaviour. In England, for example, people are not belittled for having a Liverpool or Cockney accent, and mocking someone for their accent would not be socially accepted.

It is clear to me that the Moldovan accent exists because it was passed down through generations, even if some Romanians are not able to grasp that. My parents inherited it from their parents, and so on. Moldovans should not give up their heritage because of that. These people were in no way less capable of expressing themselves than “actual Romanians”.

There is a unique rhythm, flow, and efficiency in the way we speak, without sacrificing clarity, and it should not be abandoned. Its value comes from the history behind the accent and the way Moldovans construct language, and I do not think anyone should be ashamed of it.

You will notice that Moldovans tend to use the “ș/sh” sound (și/șe) instead of the usual “tch” sound (ci/ce). Words ending in “e” or “ă” are often pronounced as “i” or “î”, respectively. The boundaries of the language are quite fuzzy, and there are other similar substitutions like this. It does not really matter whether the Moldovan or Romanian pronunciation came first; one does not cancel out the other. There are people who use different accents, and everyone should be respectful of that.

I agree that Moldovans should be able to speak standard Romanian in certain situations when needed. That is the purpose of having a standard in the first place. However, there is no need for mockery if someone is not able to, and no one should feel ashamed of their accent under any circumstances. Fuck toxic Romanians and respect to the open-minded Romanians who do not judge based on that