Is it Offensive to Talk while among a Deaf crowd?

[Frisky Feline]

If anyone who want to come to gallaudet university. if you start talking there. then others will get the idea who you are and may not bother to come to talk to you until you come to us. then we will ask you "whats up with talking all about?" It will take some times for them to get to know you better.

over the year, i was on a gallaudet campus, i have never saw anyone who speaking with signing on a campus.I always see some people who just learn signing and they did turn their voices off and sign it anyway. Once you arrive on a galludet campus then you would feel like it is a deaf community that impluse you to sign it anyway.

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Wish I got the money to go to Gallaudet or NTID. It is Mecca for me. Well, Gallaudet, NTID and Amsterdam are Meccas.

I really don't get your argument Cherri. I granted exceptions for language minorities. Minorities speak their languages in their own settings-- which you have pointed out and I have already stated in my first or second post on this thread.

Your example of Turkey? Do you know Turkish? No? Then you are not expected to speak Turkish. The example given in the thread is questioning the morals of people who know ASL, but choose not to use ASL on a Deaf campus.

Here, Quebecois get really uppity when someone speak English in front of them in Quebec and Francophone communities. Same with western Canadians, they get really ticked off when someone speak French in front of them. Ontario and Maritimes seem to be the only places in Canada where both languages are accepted. And this is as a Canadian. So I don't really understand faire jour's posts since what she described just doesn't happen here in western Canada.

I purposely date English as Second Language immigrants because I feel like there is less barriers between us, so I know what their worlds are like. I don't live it, but I can understand the whole cultural stigma against non-English languages in western Canada and the exceptions granted for those languages. Gallaudet, in my eyes, is one of those exception. Gallaudet is just as important to the Deaf people as Koreatowns are important to Koreans in a cultural sense-- and they are not really happy if a known speaker don't speak the same language. In term of language minority communities, if you know their language, but choose not to speak it on their own turf-- then you are offending them; they are more forgiving toward people that don't know their languages.

I love the Deaf culture and the Deaf community. There are some things that I don't understand fully yet, however I get that with anywhere I go in any community I choose to interact with-- not just the Deaf culture and that is common among all blind people according to the coordinators at the CNIB.

So the examples given here? The morals described by the culturally Deaf is really normal for me because I see it everyday when I go into Chinatown, Koreatown, go into Amish, Mennonite and Hueritte colonies and so on. Or even meet someone from Quebec. The Deaf culture norms described here is the norm for me.

I just wish Anglophones have more respect for ASL among kids. Other cultures that I have interacted with have more respect for the Deaf.

 

[Cheri]

Wish I got the money to go to Gallaudet or NTID. It is Mecca for me. Well, Gallaudet, NTID and Amsterdam are Meccas.

I really don't get your argument Cherri. I granted exceptions for language minorities. Minorities speak their languages in their own settings-- which you have pointed out and I have already stated in my first or second post on this thread.

Your example of Turkey? Do you know Turkish? No? Then you are not expected to speak Turkish. The example given in the thread is questioning the morals of people who know ASL, but choose not to use ASL on a Deaf campus.

That's not what kokonut had asked on his very first post, he said supposedly a couple obviously wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant walk into an eatery section inside a mall and came across a huge group of deaf people (signers), the couple continues to talk and order food, then processed with their conversation while sitting down using their voice. He asked would this considered offensive by deaf people for them to talk verbally in a public place such as a mall as he stated above? And my answer was no and it still is.

If two hearing people are allow to sign in public which most of you don't considered that rude, then why can't the two deaf people use their voice in public? That's the whole point of what he was trying to ask from the get and go, But some of them brought up Gally, that's where the thread gets confused.

 

[shel90]

I've met some people like you and those like you rubs me the wrong way, and I avoid people like you that are so judgmental, just because I'm not "deaf" enough in your define that I don't share the same language, values, behavior patterns it doesn't make me any less of a deaf person than you. Thanks for showing me who you really are.

I'm done for today. peace out.

You are misunderstanding what she is saying. What she meant you still hold the hearing view and haven't fully understood or accepted Deaf culture.

I remember so many of your posts in many other threads where you would complain about culturally Deaf people and how they are. That shows that you still hold a hearing point of view. I wonder why it bothers you so much when someone tells you that but the same time, it is ok for you to complain about Deaf people and Deaf culture?

 

[shel90]

That's not what kokonut had asked on his very first post, he said supposedly a couple obviously wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant walk into an eatery section inside a mall and came across a huge group of deaf people (signers), the couple continues to talk and order food, then processed with their conversation while sitting down using their voice. He asked would this considered offensive by deaf people for them to talk verbally in a public place such as a mall as he stated above? And my answer was no and it still is.

If two hearing people are allow to sign in public which most of you don't considered that rude, then why can't the two deaf people use their voice in public? That's the whole point of what he was trying to ask from the get and go, But some of them brought up Gally, that's where the thread gets confused.

See post #40..Kokonut (the OP) was the one who changed the theme of this thread by changing the scenario to Gallaudet.

 

[Daredevel7]

Nope..most people will identify you as a beginner signer and will give you the benefit of doubt. I was in the same shoes as you were when I first entered Gallaudet. My ASL was like level 3.

So does this mean I CAN talk in Gallaudet, because my ASL is not good enough? Seems like they would encourage beginners to sign anyway so that "they can get more practice and get better at ASL."

It kinda makes sense for a deaf person, but it seems pretty.... "unwelcome" for hearing people to me, since they are struggling with learning a new language. Like you said, it's a culture thing, accept it as it is, every culture has "rules", etc. But I wonder....if it backfires on their face because it turns hearing people off from being interested in being an interpreter, etc. Oh well.....

I am still planning on talking if I ever visit Gally. I'm up for a deaf fight.

 

[Cheri]

See post #40..Kokonut (the OP) was the one who changed the theme of this thread by changing the scenario to Gallaudet.

He did not say they knew sign language, all he asked was if two deaf/hard of hearing people sitting at a table at a Market place eating and talking and not signing to each other. How could you be offended if you don't know them personally, You don't know if they knew signs or not. What if they were oralists?

 

[shel90]

So does this mean I CAN talk in Gallaudet, because my ASL is not good enough? Seems like they would encourage beginners to sign anyway so that "they can get more practice and get better at ASL."

It kinda makes sense for a deaf person, but it seems pretty.... "unwelcome" for hearing people to me, since they are struggling with learning a new language. Like you said, it's a culture thing, accept it as it is, every culture has "rules", etc. But I wonder....if it backfires on their face because it turns hearing people off from being interested in being an interpreter, etc. Oh well.....

I am still planning on talking if I ever visit Gally. I'm up for a deaf fight.

I think Frisky has the answer in one of her posts.

 

[Mrs Bucket]

He did not say they knew sign language, all he asked was if two deaf/hard of hearing people sitting at a table at a Market place eating and talking and not signing to each other. How could you be offended if you don't know them personally, You don't know if they knew signs or not. What if they were oralists?

Like a moth to the flame.. you're back.

If you look at the .pdf of Gallaudet

The Market Place is on campus.

Ok.

Now, same scenario except on the campus of Gallaudet University. Two deaf/hh people either with hh or CI sitting at a table at the Market Place "food court" eating and talking (not signing) with each other. Offensive or not? Rude?

Again.. on campus. Talking on campus in front of Deaf people.

Rude.

Stop trivialising details, Cheri. :roll:

Just.like.STFU.

 

[Frisky Feline]

So does this mean I CAN talk in Gallaudet, because my ASL is not good enough? Seems like they would encourage beginners to sign anyway so that "they can get more practice and get better at ASL."

It kinda makes sense for a deaf person, but it seems pretty.... "unwelcome" for hearing people to me, since they are struggling with learning a new language. Like you said, it's a culture thing, accept it as it is, every culture has "rules", etc. But I wonder....if it backfires on their face because it turns hearing people off from being interested in being an interpreter, etc. Oh well.....

I am still planning on talking if I ever visit Gally. I'm up for a deaf fight.

I think wait till you visit gallaudet that will put a lot of strong influences you to sign without realizing it. Like that's a natural response when you would have more chance to pick up how to sign faster in a filled of everyone who signs on a campus. Like it is kind of a magicial feeling over there.

 

[kokonut]

What most of y'all are forgetting is that this is between two (unknown) individuals having a private conversation in an open public setting involving no one else except between the two. Whether they sign or talk is their business, not yours. Why assume that anyone who steps foot on the campus of Galluadet know sign language? The majority do know but then you do have people who visit the campus do not know sign langauge! Why is that so hard to accept? They get visitors all the time who do not know sign language. It's a fact. Accept it. If people are talking amongst themselves, why does it involve you?

It doesn't.

Again, the discussion boils down to two individuals minding their own business in an open public setting. Unless you KNOW for sure they do know how to sign then, sure, perhaps you may be justified to be upset about this. If you don't know then I'd say keep your prejudice to yourself. Regardless, it's between two individuals, not you, not the campus, not the students or teachers but between two individuals on their preferred mode of communication whether they know sign language or not.

 

[shel90]

He did not say they knew sign language, all he asked was if two deaf/hard of hearing people sitting at a table at a Market place eating and talking and not signing to each other. How could you be offended if you don't know them personally, You don't know if they knew signs or not. What if they were oralists?

you asked...you got the answer. Go reread the whol thread if your are still confused.

 

[Cheri]

What most of y'all are forgetting is that this is between two (unknown) individuals having a private conversation in an open public setting involving no one else except between the two. Whether they sign or talk is their business, not yours. Why assume that anyone who steps foot on the campus of Galluadet know sign language? The majority do know but then you do have people who visit the campus do not know sign langauge! Why is that so hard to accept? They get visitors all the time who do not know sign language. It's a fact. Accept it. If people are talking amongst themselves, why does it involve you?

It doesn't.

Exactly!

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Again, the discussion boils down to two individuals minding their own business in an open public setting. Unless you KNOW for sure they do know how to sign then, sure, perhaps you may be justified to be upset about this. If you don't know then I'd say keep your prejudice to yourself. Regardless, it's between two individuals, not you, not the campus, not the students or teachers but between two individuals on their preferred mode of communication whether they know sign language or not.

And this is where we run into problems. Deafness is a invisible thing. Religious colonies are obligated to have a dress code to identify each others. Ethnic groups can identify each others via facial features. Hell, even accents can give away your cultural background. I have been asked if I was from a certain town in Alberta several times because my family have an accent only associated with a religious colony in that town.

So how do Deaf people identify each others? They can't. They only assume that by context. Like if you are a Deaf social, or if you are at a Deaf campus-- then there is a high probability that the new person is deaf as well.

 

[shel90]

What most of y'all are forgetting is that this is between two (unknown) individuals having a private conversation in an open public setting involving no one else except between the two. Whether they sign or talk is their business, not yours. Why assume that anyone who steps foot on the campus of Galluadet know sign language? The majority do know but then you do have people who visit the campus do not know sign langauge! Why is that so hard to accept? They get visitors all the time who do not know sign language. It's a fact. Accept it. If people are talking amongst themselves, why does it involve you?

It doesn't.

Again, the discussion boils down to two individuals minding their own business in an open public setting. Unless you KNOW for sure they do know how to sign then, sure, perhaps you may be justified to be upset about this. If you don't know then I'd say keep your prejudice to yourself. Regardless, it's between two individuals, not you, not the campus, not the students or teachers but between two individuals on their preferred mode of communication whether they know sign language or not.

It seems to me more of an issue of one trying to impose their values and rules on a community and expect the community to adhere to them.

 

[Frisky Feline]

maybe since OP made the thread.

 

[kokonut]

No. It's a simple matter of not knowing who the two people are talking at a table in an open public seetting. No values is being imposed. It's between two individuals only. Nobody else is involved here. They are simply talking...to each other. It's impossible that they are "imposing" their value upon others, especially if they do not know any sign language in the first place. The only background I mentioned is that they either wearing a CI or HA. For all we know they could be late deafened adults who are simply visiting the campus of Gallaudet University. Or for some other reasons like visiting the museum to learn about the history. Whatever. It is not for you to judge people when you do not even know their reason for being there and their background. Simply put!!

 

[Frisky Feline]

koknut, if like your post situation, deaf students or deaf staffs would leave you alone and ignore you because they dont know who you are. Till you become a student or staff at gally then you wouldnt sign then who have an issue? who?

 

[kokonut]

koknut, if like your post situation, deaf students or deaf staffs would leave you alone and ignore you because they dont know who you are. Till you become a student or staff at gally then you wouldnt sign then who have an issue? who?

Uh, you really don't know me, do you?

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

What are you saying is simply trivializing the whole matter. You will keep twisting scenarios until we will say "yeah, that's alright."

I don't get why people are so adamant against the norms of the Deaf culture, when the problems they encounter within the Deaf culture is human nature that affect EVERYONE? The sooner you accept every single human being on the planet are self-centric pricks in their own ways, the sooner you will accept that Deaf is what Deaf is.

I used to not want to be associated with the Deaf, until I saw the same behaviours occuring in the hearing world among other groups. That was when I learned people do what people do. If you are going to be a Deaf campus, or you are going to a Deaf social-- or any where that Deaf people meet, people are going to assume you can sign until they find out otherwise.

Same thing with any gatherings. They are going to make assumptions and judgements upon greeting before they find out why new people don't fit into their cultural norms. I have discovered this and drew parallel with every group I have been accepted into. This is the reason why I decided to go back to the Deaf community, because its so-called issues are universal.