Should the Deaf Be Considered an Ethnic Group?

Ok then Mexicans, Italians, Blacks, Chinese are not ethnic groups because we wouldnt want to group them based on their use of their spoken languages.

You consider "Mexicans, Italians, Blacks, Chinese" all ONE ethnic group because they all use spoken language?
 
If we use it at different levels, and remember the subjectivity of the observer, yes.

For example, to some white people, africans is one ethnic group, while in africa, north africans don't identify themselves with south africans.

Only someone who doesn't understand what an ethnic group is would lump everyone on a continent such as Africa together as a single ethnic group.
 
No one answered my question, I see.



I am a sad panda.

It's not an easy question you threw out there, DareDevel7! :) Based on the broadest interpretations, I think some could consider my daughter and her group of friends to be an ethnic group. And a religion, and a nation, and a cultural group, and so on. But the whole point of having so many words for similar concepts is to try to refine the concepts beyond "group with something in common."

Ethnic groups typically get at a common heritage/geographical source and/or biological commonality that's unique to the group. Religious groups get at a common set of values and spiritual beliefs as a defining feature that's unique to the group. Cultural groups are usually self-defined and based on sociological commonalities with shared behaviors.

You are born into your ethnic group. My daughter is ethnically Chinese whether she wants to be or not, but that doesn't make me ethnically Chinese just because I learn Mandarin, live in China, and have a Chinese daughter. I can't choose to change my heritage or biology. I can see her becoming culturally Deaf, but that's not going to change her biology or ethnicity.
 
I now can answer this question with super ease. But seeing we have hearing people here, I am electing not to.

:)
 
Do we as a Deaf community have our own customs? Do we have to wear specific clothing or eat our own kind of cuisine? Ethnic culture, yes. Do we have our own country? Ethnic culture, perhaps. But as for the Deaf culture, I think not. Our deafness does not only limit to one race or ethnicity but it is part of our whole world. It does not matter what ethnicity they are, what clothing they wear, what they eat and so forth. That is the difference here. That is what drives us apart from the ethnic culture or group as we speak of.

That is what I believe that is what makes Deaf Culture so unique.
 
I now can answer this question with super ease. But seeing we have hearing people here, I am electing not to.

:)

Why don't you sign it very quickly. I won't be able to follow. And I'll whisper with my hand over my mouth, so we can each have privacy.
 
It's not an easy question you threw out there, DareDevel7! :) Based on the broadest interpretations, I think some could consider my daughter and her group of friends to be an ethnic group. And a religion, and a nation, and a cultural group, and so on. But the whole point of having so many words for similar concepts is to try to refine the concepts beyond "group with something in common."

Ethnic groups typically get at a common heritage/geographical source and/or biological commonality that's unique to the group. Religious groups get at a common set of values and spiritual beliefs as a defining feature that's unique to the group. Cultural groups are usually self-defined and based on sociological commonalities with shared behaviors.

You are born into your ethnic group. My daughter is ethnically Chinese whether she wants to be or not, but that doesn't make me ethnically Chinese just because I learn Mandarin, live in China, and have a Chinese daughter. I can't choose to change my heritage or biology. I can see her becoming culturally Deaf, but that's not going to change her biology or ethnicity.
1. Deafness is biological, you don't choose it. You are born into it.
2. Deaf culture is not self defined in a purely cultural manner, but based on how deaf people experience the world as full human beeings.
 
I wish some people would realize that all hearing individuals are not the enemy.
 
1. Deafness is biological, you don't choose it. You are born into it.

What about those not born deaf? And become deaf much later in life? It doesn't have to be biological, there are many external factors that can happen to cause deafness.
 
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