Deafhood

[iaskedalice09]

Hi People,

I want to thank all of you for replying to my intro post. Seriously, that's really awesome to not feel left out or that somehow I am less Deaf because I'm oral and communicate orally.

I've been watching the Deaf greats (IMHO): Ricky Taylor, Ella Mae Lentz, Genie Gertz, and Barb DiGi. Please note I am new to this vlogging concept so that's why my "collection" isn't huge.

However. I take a sort of geeky pride in watching Ella sign about Deafhood. It's almost like, it's so totally me! In the hearing world but subconsciously still very Deaf. It inspires a really sappy Deaf *kiss-fist ASL* Deaf-in-my-gut feeling (that is the sign for deafhood, deaf gut).

However, the hearings think it is inaccurate to call myself Deaf. Actually, Mom encourages it and thinks it's great but the others just have very bigoted opinions about the Deaf community. I try to dissuade them but it's tiring. Deaf people are NOT all arrogant - some of them are but most of them are not! At least the ones I've met.

And I get people in both worlds that say I must choose one or the other. "Pick hearies, and you'll never feel as connected as with your other Deafies." "Pick Deaf, and you're throwing out your family, as well as the majority of the world." And it just makes me scream, because I want BOTH. Is that really possible, though? I've not seen any examples of it, I'm quite naive. Yet, I do have very capital D Deaf people who say I can be in both. Which? To be in both, does that mean you have two identities?

I really feel a sense of belonging with Deaf people, but I feel something for hearings too and not resentment. Granted, I do resent my speech pathologist but that's another rant. My parents, sister, brother -- all hearing. So all of my family is hearing and also very Italian, so we're very big on loyalty.

Also, I'm tired of feeling like the only teenager really pushing for bilingualism. Holy crap, I met Kevin Hall a couple months ago and he signed English. It made me cry. He could be a really good role model for bilingualism and yet he signs straight English. I'm tired of seeing teens at the local SD sign English or talk, or not sign at all. I recognise that there are different methods of communication but I really feel it is critical for BOTH ASL and English to be in a Deaf person's life.

I don't know, I guess I sort of suck at this "people" thing...

Thoughts?

P.S. - Shel90, do you have a blog/vlog? I like your opinions.

 

[jillio]

Reading your post brought tears to my eyes. There are untold numbers of deaf individuals who have experienced exactly the same thing you have are going through at this moment. Shel is one of them, and has some great insight about the situation.

You will not be rejected by the Deaf/deaf community because you are oral. Many, many deaf have oral skills. Many, many deaf have come to sign langugage later in thier lives because the opportunity to meet other deaf and learn the language did not arise for them until then. There are numerous posters on this board who fit into that category, and if you will notice, like you, they are also proponents for bilingualism.

You absolutely do not have to choose Deaf culture vs. hearing culture. They can be integrated. Posters on this board do it, I have many deaf friends who do it, and I have many students who do it. That is the core concept behind a bi-cultural/bilingual environment, and it provides the best of both worlds. My own son integrates the two quite successfully.

I am a hearing parent of a deaf son. I chose to raise him and have him educated in a bilingual/bi-cultural environment. As a consequence, ASL is his first language, English is his second languge. He is fluent in both. He was mainstreamed with a terp in his earlier grades, and then transferred to a school for the deaf at age 10. He graduated from there and now attends a large hearing major university with a terp and a notetaker in his classes. His roomate is deaf, and he feels most comfortable with other deaf and hearing signers; however, he also has friends who are hearing and do not sign. He interacts with the hearing world using oral skills when it is necessary for him to do so. He quite easily code switches between ASL when communicating with other deaf/Deaf, and more English signing hearies or deaf who have been raised orally and sign in a more PSE syntax. The deaf school he attended had majority students from hearing families; however, all parents were encouraged to learn sign, and the school offered classes for parents who had not learned ASL prior to their children being enrolled. It was also a more multicultural environment, as there were students from Nigeria, from Iran, and from all over the U.S. Some were multi-handicapped. The majority of the parents were hearing; however, there were also Deaf parents. Many teachers were deaf/Deaf, some of the administrators were deaf. Some were CODA, and some were hearing. All signed ASL with native fluency.

The school also hooked up with a hearing high school in order to expose hearing ASL students to native signers, and to expose the deaf students to their hearing peers. The older children in the high school served as mentors to the younger students. Eighty percent of their graduates attend college; the majority attend hearing colleges, but all keep strong connections to the Deaf/deaf community. These kids have all been given the opportunity to have the best of both worlds. It can be done, and it can be done very successfully. I encourage you to keep up your efforts to integrate both into your life. You will have a much richer life and be a much better person as a result. We all have things that we can learn from each other, and when we accept the differences and use them as a learning experience, treat each other with tolerance and understanding, and give value to the indiviual as an individual, as well as a member of a differing culutre, we open ourselves to amazing and enriching experience that broadens our life perspective.

You will find a few select posters on AD that attempt to portray both Shel and myself as anti-CI, anti-oral skills, and militantly Deaf culture. Please, take these accusations with skepticism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Shel and I both operate personally from a bilingual/bi-cultural perspective, and we only advocate that as the best possible environment for the deaf child. Your story illustrates so well what we have tried to explain to parents who insist on an oral-only atmosphere educationally and socially for their children: that sooner or later, that child will seek out others who share their deafness. It is human nature to be drawn to those that are similar, and have an understanding of our experiences.

You are going through a wonderful growth experience. No doubt, you will encounter some criticism and discouragement along the way, but please do not let it deter you. Keep moving forward, keep making the effort, and you will receive untold benefit from your efforts.

Good to see you on the board, and I look forward to chatting with you in the future!

 

[Grummer]

I KNOW exaclty what you mean, and I am pissed off with everyone too, like my family are arrogant and full of ignorance, while AT same time, my bloody local deaf club give me shit for being oral, and also the local (and national in NZ) administrators "up and coming professional fucktards are incrediablly self-absorbed and stuck up on hailing about their 'success' which is nothing more than a tokenised form of 'hearing-deaf relations' it makes me puke.

I have researched for a bit on these issues and will continue to do so.

try reading if you can get a hold of that book, Paddy Ladd's Understanding Deaf Culture , in search of Deafhood, quite a good book, full of ideas, but two big issues with it, its badly organised and the title doesnt seem to be right, perhaps it should hve been "An introduction to Deafhood" or similar
THAT book is expensive to get, so try get it from the library but be warned its hard to wane throught book, dense and difficult to orientate within it.

What amazes me is the culture thing, its has its place, but it shouldnt dominate excessively, like I think its high time, bloody deaf education to include a new curriculum on "Hearing culture studies" just so to address the issue of employability of deaf people, this would be greatly make a difference, althought I would also stress if so such a movement should take place, caution should be advised to, to prevent the sway from equity to equality.

 

[Deafilmedia]

I agree we deaf people are arrogant.

oh oh.