[ASLsparkD] The Power Struggles of English Initialization

ASLspark November 21, 2017 in ASL 1 Subscribers Subscribe

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How linguicism and sexism impacts the current debate over English initialization.

Derogatory comments will be deleted at my discretion.

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Translation:

English initialization is currently a heated topic of discussion in our ASL Deaf community. I've noticed a few things about this discussion --

First, Gallaudet University has been a big influence on ASL over the years. People in our community recognize alumni by their strong English accent. Thanks to Gallaudet, we have a tendency to look at people with that English accent as being intelligent leaders.
The younger ASL Deaf generation today is more cosmopolitan thanks to the affordability of smartphones with cameras. What used to be the privilege of rich people is now accessible to the poor. So we are seeing more videos from signers all over the world. It is inevitable that their sign languages influence ASL, especially with the internet savvy of the younger generation.

We see the conflict between generations now. Gallaudet students used to think that they have to change their ASL to be more English in order to gain privilege. Now with bilingual education and strong ASL scholarship, ASLcentric thinking is coming to the forefront. The community is starting to value healthy fluency in ASL.

Who has the most to lose in this change? I've noticed that a lot of white Deaf men are loudly denouncing this change. When English privilege is no longer the status quo, the foundations of their power and control is shaken.

Why is criticism such a big issue in this power struggle? The hierarchy of privilege makes it so that those on "top" are allowed to criticize those on the "bottom." The privileged become used to a lack of feedback, because others are unable to do so. Now with the balance of power shifting, the privilege are caught off-guard with feedback and take it as mostly negative criticism. They are not used to it.
What is going to happen now? Two things --

One - younger Deaf men will continue to internalize the global influence. Our ASL eyes will become used to the new changes.

Two - I'm not crazy about white people being in control of ASL. I don't like English being so dominant over ASL. Those things need to change. We need to be aware that ASL is not a single language but a connected series of linguistic communities. The United States is an incredibly culturally diverse country. We ought to open our minds and hearts in examining what our ASL values are.

What are your thoughts?

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