Wednesday, January 23, 2008

It is hard to explain deaf oppression against deaf.

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9 comments:

deafworldchamp said...

I totally agree with you. I've seen that all the time. We, deaf people who dont support oral and CI oppressed against those oralists. On the other hand, those deaf people who are oralists support oral philosophy and CI are oppressed against asl. For example, the deaf who are oralists disagree using ASL and support CI cause the arguments between those groups inside the deaf community. I am strongly believe in using ASL and not support CI on deaf babies. We have to show what we can do. We dont need to change ourselves to fit hearing society's needs!

January 23, 2008 at 2:55 PM
Susan said...

I support ASL. Smile.

January 23, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Unknown said...

What about ASLan oppression others? I like this topic, eventhough I just think we have issues that we need to look at ourselves too. A big oppression among ASLan I have noticed is favorism. Yeah, often out there behave like that... Human? Just thought.

January 23, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Coach Creech said...

That's excatly correct. I noticed the problem is this common in deaf zone where oralism think they are best than deaf-mute. I agree with your discuss.

January 23, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Platonic's Eye said...

Please look at Your Tube- Virgingorda2, I hAve a problem with the idea of what oppression means!

January 24, 2008 at 9:05 AM
Aslpride said...

jbaldridge: It is important to recognize the zone that everyone can respect each other. If you want to speak and hear, then you hang around with hearing people or deaf people who can speak and hear. Don't come to our zone and tell us that we should speak and hear or must hang around with you, which we will not understand what you said. It is same, as when we are in your zone, we don't tell you to use ASL. If you want to speak and hear, then it is your wish. If I want to use ASL, then it is my wish.

January 24, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Aslpride said...

Platonic's Eye: I did watched your vlog on "Oppression as a fact?" However, I watch it again to make sure I remember what you said. Let's look at dictionary...

1. the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.

That experience is not what ASLAN experience. We never experience physical suffering. However, there is next description...

4. the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, anxiety, etc.

That is what ASLAN experience in our lives. I have several experiences relate to emotion distress in oppression. You are right; I didn't experience any oppression in deaf institution because it is ASLAN's comfort zone and common cause. However, I did experience oppression in mainstream, college and jobs. For example, I ask for interpreter to discuss about enrollment on one education department for certified technical. The man promised and set an appointment. When I meet the man, he said that he can't get an interpreter and he begin speak to me. I told him to write on piece of paper. He hesitated! I force him to get a piece of paper. When he has paper, he repeated stop write and speak to me. I told him to write it down. I don't deserve that and it is emotion oppression. Other time, in ITT, they once said, "An interpreter is an interpreter and that's it." It happens when we request for a better interpreter for our friend who have inadequate interpreter. The oppression that ASLAN experience is relate to emotion distress. We can discuss more through email if you would like. :)

January 24, 2008 at 10:54 AM
Unknown said...

Spot on!

While I agree that deaf people are oppressed by the hearing world in various arenas, I've always felt that, ironically, the most blatant oppression of deaf people come from deaf people themselves.

It's a sad fact of life in the deaf world, but it doesn't have to be that way. It's important for deaf people to realize that "deaf" simply means "inability to hear". Not only does hearing loss come in different degrees, but people who have a degree of hearing loss also come from all walks of life, varying backgrounds, each with their own values and beliefs.

What's best for you as a deaf person isn't necessarily what's best for all deaf people. It's important for the deaf community to realize that strength of community comes from inclusion, not exclusion.

Thanks for bringing this up. I think it's a very important issue that needs to be addressed by the deaf world.

By the way, thank you also for recognizing and accommodating Linux users :)

January 28, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Rhonda said...

I am a parent of 2 hearing impaired girls age 10 and 14. We chose for our girls to hear because at any point a person can learn sign language but after about age 10, it's impossible to teach a deaf child to talk. For my family the decision was the best. Both my daughters talk. One wears a CI ( Which she loves and wants to go bilateral ) and one wears hearing aides. They go to mainstream public schools, sing at church, love to listen to music, hear me read books to them, talk on the phone and with friends. They love the sound of rain and the ocean. My oldest daughter says she couldn't imagine life with sound. But, they don't consider themselves "better" than the Deaf community. I think it's a personal choice and as a parent you have to make the best one for your family at the time. I would rather my girls tell me as adults that they want to sign and not wear their aides/CI than to ask me why I never gave them the chance to hear.

Rhonda
Both my daughters and myself want to learn sign language. I don't consider my girls oralists. I consider them a part of the human race and don't put a label on them.

February 20, 2008 at 7:39 PM

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