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AsianWeek.com
At the Fifth National Asian Deaf Conference 2007 in early July, approximately 350 participants from around the world gathered in San Francisco to raise awareness and understanding about the difficulties for deaf and hard-of-hearing Asian individuals.
When the conferences first started in 1994, "the purpose was to show how Asian deaf children are equals," explained Nan Zhou, the president of Bay Area Asian Deaf Association.
The conferences also give Asian deaf people a chance for visibility they often lack.
"We wanted to show the deaf people what they can do in this country," said conference co-chair William Wong. "The majority of deaf people in the United States are, of course, white deaf people; Asians are the minority. As Asians, we tend to be quieter and not assert ourselves. Thus, white deaf people often get their ideas and thoughts heard."
While services and educational opportunities are widely available in the United States, recent Asian immigrants sometimes are uncomfortable accessing those opportunities and finding their identities, because their culture is still rooted in their birth countries. Furthermore, different countries often have their own native sign language, and deaf individuals may have to learn a challenging second sign language — usually American Sign Language — when they arrive in the United States.
Cultural conflicts can persist even after they have learned American Sign Language. "Asian immigrants are taught to respect teachers and their elders, so deaf Asians have a quieter demeanor," Zhou said. "We are trying to empower them, get them to speak out, gain understanding and be equal to their hearing counterparts."
Non-Asian deaf communities in the United States have a stronger presence, and thus, services are developed from the standpoint of American cultural ideals. Programs that specifically address Asian concerns and cultural conflicts are rare, and the conference hopes to fill that void.
"We hope to bring about cultural appreciation and guide people in education and social services," explained Zhou. "We want to empower people to recognize variety within the community."
Conference co-chair Leyla Erol hoped the conference would help spread information beyond the Asian deaf community. "We hope that through this conference, the community in general will be more educated about the Asian deaf community."
Sharon Gough, a board member of the Southern California Asian Deaf Association and a fourth-generation Japanese American, or yonsei, addressed the conference at the welcoming dinner, sharing how her life was changed and she discovered her true identity, culture and values after meeting other Asian deaf people.
Other speakers included Dr. Robert Davila, president of Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for the deaf and hard of hearing; Joe McLaughlin, dean of Ohlone College’s Center for Deaf Studies; and Dr. Alan Hurtwiz of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
At the Fifth National Asian Deaf Conference 2007 in early July, approximately 350 participants from around the world gathered in San Francisco to raise awareness and understanding about the difficulties for deaf and hard-of-hearing Asian individuals.
When the conferences first started in 1994, "the purpose was to show how Asian deaf children are equals," explained Nan Zhou, the president of Bay Area Asian Deaf Association.
The conferences also give Asian deaf people a chance for visibility they often lack.
"We wanted to show the deaf people what they can do in this country," said conference co-chair William Wong. "The majority of deaf people in the United States are, of course, white deaf people; Asians are the minority. As Asians, we tend to be quieter and not assert ourselves. Thus, white deaf people often get their ideas and thoughts heard."
While services and educational opportunities are widely available in the United States, recent Asian immigrants sometimes are uncomfortable accessing those opportunities and finding their identities, because their culture is still rooted in their birth countries. Furthermore, different countries often have their own native sign language, and deaf individuals may have to learn a challenging second sign language — usually American Sign Language — when they arrive in the United States.
Cultural conflicts can persist even after they have learned American Sign Language. "Asian immigrants are taught to respect teachers and their elders, so deaf Asians have a quieter demeanor," Zhou said. "We are trying to empower them, get them to speak out, gain understanding and be equal to their hearing counterparts."
Non-Asian deaf communities in the United States have a stronger presence, and thus, services are developed from the standpoint of American cultural ideals. Programs that specifically address Asian concerns and cultural conflicts are rare, and the conference hopes to fill that void.
"We hope to bring about cultural appreciation and guide people in education and social services," explained Zhou. "We want to empower people to recognize variety within the community."
Conference co-chair Leyla Erol hoped the conference would help spread information beyond the Asian deaf community. "We hope that through this conference, the community in general will be more educated about the Asian deaf community."
Sharon Gough, a board member of the Southern California Asian Deaf Association and a fourth-generation Japanese American, or yonsei, addressed the conference at the welcoming dinner, sharing how her life was changed and she discovered her true identity, culture and values after meeting other Asian deaf people.
Other speakers included Dr. Robert Davila, president of Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for the deaf and hard of hearing; Joe McLaughlin, dean of Ohlone College’s Center for Deaf Studies; and Dr. Alan Hurtwiz of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.