BradB08

I know some people who take their role in deaf culture so seriously, that they blame their problems on hearing people and make fun of them. Doesn't really help them does it?

Deafness

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shel90

Luckily many of my friends in the Deaf community arent like that. I guess they are far few in between? Either that or I dont pay attention...LOL!

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Shel~

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

jomanila

Hello guys! Thanks for sharing your opinions and points. :-)

Hello Norcal20! How long have you been to the US? My deaf friend's family also hails from Kalibo, Aklan. My parents are from Samar. So we are both from Visayas. :-)

NorCal20

Jomanila...

I've been grew up in California, US for in my long, long, long, long time. I do visited there before and i do dearly missed Kalibo, Aklan and Borcacy Island too. Kalibo is one of my favorite place to go.

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jomanila

Thanks for commenting here guys. I know that Marlee and Heather have individual distinct strengths and weaknesses. But I'm not here to make them like fighting cocks or wrestling contestants. I just want to hear from you about your opinions on how these two deaf icons fare in promoting the cause of the deaf community.

I tell you, American personalities and popular figures influence the world, including the American deaf even on a tiny island nation of the Philippines. Whatever the Americans do, it affects the entire world. that includes influences in cultures. :-)

Bebonang

That is a good question. I looked at Heather Whitestone when I watched her on the Miss America in 1995. She spoke her language instead of signing. I don't know how she cope with her deafness going through without an sign language interpreter in the pageant. She does supports and encourages deaf children to speak and not sign. For me to think that she must be a lonely person not know what everyone is saying to her even if she had a oral interpreter to help her read lips. I think she is just confused where she is to be on the stand for oral or sign. A lot of us, Deafies, think it is really important to use sign better than oral because it is easier to understand better than oral. Very few deaf people like Heather are very rare to be able to understand and lipread what the person say. Lipreading is not easy at all.


I did watched Marlee Matlin on the movie "Children of a Lesser God". It was a very great movie and I love what she did in the movie. We are related how we feel as a Deaf person and had experiences of what hearing people expect us to lipread and talk. No hearing person should not force a deaf person to speak if the Deaf person don't want to. Her character like to sign very much and is very comfortable with it.

Marlee Matlin has change because of fame. She can be nice or rude to the deaf communities, just because she is a Star. She can do whatever she like when meeting people whether hearing or deaf. I really side more on Marlee Matlin than Heather Whitestone because of signing which is a lot better than trying to read lips and to speak. We are not perfect with our voices.

Pinky

Heather Whitestone have second implanted now. She courted controversy among the Deaf community.

Heather Whitestone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I like Marlee over Heather. Because Marlee is using sign languages in movies, tv show, and other. I remember at first movie. I watched when I was 7 years old. My mom showed me on tv with first CC. I understand Marlee talk about.

I was pretty disappoint with Heather for not use sign language at Miss America. When I went to deaf school. The deaf teacher of Deaf Education class. She rejected Heather because of oral without sign languages. I think it's offensive. It's Heather's decide to be in hearing community not Deaf community. She think deaf community are gossiping, stabbing back, reject to oral people.

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shel90

That's too bad cuz not everyone in the Deaf community do that. In my experience with the Deaf community, nobody talks about her at all. Like I said before, I dont think they really care cuz they have their own lives to worry.

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Shel~

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

Pinky

I have no idea who meet Heather in a person. They might start to argue with Heather over oral and not use ASL. If you're in Gallaudet University. You might not hear from anybody talk about her.

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GarnetTigerMom

I actually like both of those women because they both have different success in life on a different path. So, for me I don't think I would want to take sides on both of them. I see them as strong women that had set their own goal in their own way of life. Both women work hard life better for them and those around them to try to help others. I admire them both. Speaking of Marlee, I know some deaf don t like it when she learn to talk and use oral, But she did use signs. What she does with her life is her business if she wanted to learn to talk. I got nothing against her for learning to talk. I think it great that she want to speak to have more than one way to commuicate. Everybody different. :-)

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GarnetTigerMom

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shel90

I was a Gallaudet student when she got implanted and some posters here said that the Deaf community was in an uproar over it when she got implanted. Well, that wasnt the case in my experience at Gallaudet. Like I said, I dont really think people really care what Heather does in her personal life.

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Shel~

"A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

BradB08

Honestly, I admire Marlee more for her talent than looks.

I've met deaf women that are prettier than both combined.

jomanila

I guess more people here admire Marlee than Heather.

Here is the link again: Heather Whitestone or Marlee Matlin?

redfire53

I like Matlin Marlee better because she is still involving with deaf and hearing communities and she even using ASL. I noticed Heather Whitestone is leaning to oralism. I think her parents used to pressure her by using oral communication. Well, that is unfortunately. She attended Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. Some of my friends knew Heather very well. She signed ASL by communicating with some of my friends while her parents were far away. But her parents visited with her, she used oral communication while her parents were here with her. I couldn't understand why she hid beautiful ASL behind her back. I respect her in every way she wanted to do. I noticed her wearing cochlear. She wanted to be happy so she can hear some noise background and from her children, too. Well, that is why I like Marlee Matlin is more balanced in both deaf and hearing world.

jomanila

I agree with you there. That's what Ms. Heather exactly told us doing here visit here in our country. She was "pressured" by her mother into learning how to speak by talking behind her. She needs to reply correctly to whatever her mom would ask otherwise, she has some sort of punishment. She was grateful that her Mom disciplined her that way. But in my opinion, it's some form of a maltreatment.

Here is the link on my personal experience about Heather: Heather Whitestone or Marlee Matlin?

jomanila

Up this thread again. :-)

Heather Whitestone or Marlee Matlin?

dead money

its retarded, i agree.

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dead money

bingo. i personally dont know anyone who gives a fuck either. Its so overrated. I mean Whitestone made personal choices based on what she thinks is right for herself. Nobody asked her to be a role model for ASL based deafies in america. Its jealousy based on success from my POV.

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mike matusow...or god for short.

jomanila

up this thread again! :-)

Heather Whitestone or Marlee Matlin? « Filipino Deaf from the Eyes of a Hearing Person