 Exploring Inclusion & Representation: |
| | An outpouring of love from all over the country (and I believe even the world) was expressed for Captain Hall's display and representation of her native language and community. Even Hall felt the love and reposted the love via her Instagram story. For many of us, this was a beautiful moment, where we saw representation of our love for our family, culture, heritage, language, and the Deaf/Coda Communities. |
A moment of transparency: as a Coda writer, I struggle with whether I should reference the Deaf and Coda community above because I know for many, such as Jermaine and so many others, Hall also represented the Deaf community during this event. Yet, since I am not personally Deaf, I cannot attest to whether she represented the Deaf community or not; some Deaf community members welcomed her representation, others did not.
Captain Hall signing the Pledge of Allegiance at Biden's inauguration has seized our attention. For many individuals, it was a moment that led to tears and joy; for others, it was a moment that triggered frustration and anger. Concerns were brought up about authentic representation for Deaf people, language purity, and the possibility of language appropriation. From the responses I have read, it seems there are many layers and I could probably write a book about this, however I'm going to write for the next hour and call it a day.
The president of the World Federation of the Deaf, Dr. Joseph Murray, shared a thread of 20 comments via Twitter, where he implores his readers to consider why this event would inspire tears. I HIGHLY recommend that you read his entire thread, as he shared his perspective of what we should learn from this and what we need to be careful of (or not learn from this event). He asserted that it was not about access, since access was already being provided by ASL interpreters, closed captioning, and even cued speech via current administration via the Inauguration website. Dr. Murray suggests that when Captain Hall signed the Pledge of Allegiance, she legitimized the status of American Sign Language as a part of our national political and cultural heritage in our country.
This affirmation, recognition, and legitimization of American Sign Language shows that we no longer need to be ashamed to sign in public; it showed inclusion, human diversity, how sign language is for everyone, and recognition of Black ASL.
Captain Hall signing the Pledge of Allegiance at Biden's inauguration has seized our attention. For many individuals, it was a moment that led to tears and joy; for others, it was a moment that triggered frustration and anger. Concerns were brought up about authentic representation for Deaf people, language purity, and the possibility of language appropriation. From the responses I have read, it seems there are many layers and I could probably write a book about this, however I'm going to write for the next hour and call it a day.
The president of the World Federation of the Deaf, Dr. Joseph Murray, shared a thread of 20 comments via Twitter, where he implores his readers to consider why this event would inspire tears. I HIGHLY recommend that you read his entire thread, as he shared his perspective of what we should learn from this and what we need to be careful of (or not learn from this event). He asserted that it was not about access, since access was already being provided by ASL interpreters, closed captioning, and even cued speech via current administration via the Inauguration website. Dr. Murray suggests that when Captain Hall signed the Pledge of Allegiance, she legitimized the status of American Sign Language as a part of our national political and cultural heritage in our country.
This affirmation, recognition, and legitimization of American Sign Language shows that we no longer need to be ashamed to sign in public; it showed inclusion, human diversity, how sign language is for everyone, and recognition of Black ASL.
Cpt Hall's #PledgeofAllegiance in #AmericanSignLanguage on #InaugurationDay has rightfully seized our attention. In this thread, I want to analyse where this came from, what we can learn from it, and what we should NOT learn from it. Read more on this longish THREAD 1/20 pic.twitter.com/TJyPNPkhX8
— Joseph Murray (@drjosephjmurray) January 22, 2021
Black ASL....
I also want to take a pause here to discuss the recognition and erasure of Black ASL.
One of the poignant criticisms of Captain Hall's delivery of The Pledge of Allegiance in sign language was that she did not sign "proper" or "pure" American Sign Language. On ASL That, a Facebook group of over 80,000 members, where over 4,000 members reacted with likes, love, or care emojis for Hall's recitement of the Pledge in ASL. There were over a thousand shares from this post and over 800 comments. Several members remarked how beautiful it was to see, others began to assess her fluency, criticized her use of white gloves, or analyze specific signs and even labeling some of her sign choices as "wrong." This implied that there is only one proper way to sign something in ASL, this is known as language policing.
Dr. Murray also speaks to this in his Twitter thread and mentions, "The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL." One thing to consider is that Andrea Hall learned ASL from her Deaf father, Russell "Bubba" Williams, who attended a segregated Deaf school in the 1960s. Murray isn't the first one to discuss the recognition of Black ASL.
The concepts of being "hidden" or "recognized" also go hand-in-hand with erasure. David Player, a Black Deaf man who speaks to "The Power of White Gaze and the Erasure of Black Signers" shares his personal experience on how Black Deaf Americans have been oppressed and speaks to how white Deaf people are not the only ones who have contributed (even if unintentionally), but that white nondeaf signers and interpreters have also contributed to this erasure of Black signers.
Below, Cecely Boga, a Black Deaf woman shares her experience and reaction to Captain Hall signing the Pledge of Allegiance. She declares that Black ASL is a language, and criticism or negativity toward Captain Hall's use of ASL or Black ASL is not appropriate or acceptable.
One of the poignant criticisms of Captain Hall's delivery of The Pledge of Allegiance in sign language was that she did not sign "proper" or "pure" American Sign Language. On ASL That, a Facebook group of over 80,000 members, where over 4,000 members reacted with likes, love, or care emojis for Hall's recitement of the Pledge in ASL. There were over a thousand shares from this post and over 800 comments. Several members remarked how beautiful it was to see, others began to assess her fluency, criticized her use of white gloves, or analyze specific signs and even labeling some of her sign choices as "wrong." This implied that there is only one proper way to sign something in ASL, this is known as language policing.
Dr. Murray also speaks to this in his Twitter thread and mentions, "The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL." One thing to consider is that Andrea Hall learned ASL from her Deaf father, Russell "Bubba" Williams, who attended a segregated Deaf school in the 1960s. Murray isn't the first one to discuss the recognition of Black ASL.
The concepts of being "hidden" or "recognized" also go hand-in-hand with erasure. David Player, a Black Deaf man who speaks to "The Power of White Gaze and the Erasure of Black Signers" shares his personal experience on how Black Deaf Americans have been oppressed and speaks to how white Deaf people are not the only ones who have contributed (even if unintentionally), but that white nondeaf signers and interpreters have also contributed to this erasure of Black signers.
Below, Cecely Boga, a Black Deaf woman shares her experience and reaction to Captain Hall signing the Pledge of Allegiance. She declares that Black ASL is a language, and criticism or negativity toward Captain Hall's use of ASL or Black ASL is not appropriate or acceptable.
Codas, this past week, also joined in on this online discussion, such as Dr. Jeffrey Levi Palmer, who asserted that language policing is a tool used to further white supremacy and classism.
Assumptions about Codas: Representation & Ownership
Previously, I mentioned an assumption that Codas should only sign in public if they can model "grammatical" ASL. Not all Deaf parents are fluent in "grammatical" ASL as defined by white washing and erasure as David Player mentions. One of the most frequent concerns that I have read over the past three days is that Codas are not representative or owners of sign language.
However, others would assert differently...
Sarah Hafer, a Certified Deaf interpreter and heritage language user of ASL, presented at Street Leverage in 2017 in St. Paul Minnesota. Here's a direct link to her presentation regarding interpreters in the Deaf community and recognizing their place in the Deaf community.
In this presentation, Hafer shares a pre-recorded video of Swanhilda Lily, where she clarifies the differences between culture and heritage. Her quote below was translated and taken from Street Leverage's website:
"A culture is defined as a community of people sharing a common language and set of values. With specific reference to the Deaf community, the culture is made up of individuals having a so-called “audiological impairment” as perceived by those in the hearing-centric world at large.
In contrast, heritage refers to the intergenerational passing down of a particular culture. In the Deaf World, Deaf individuals with Deaf parents and [C]odas (individuals who can hear with Deaf parents) are the heritage speakers of ASL and owners of Deaf culture. Together, the members of these two groups (culture and heritage) constitute the owners of the culture."
Some may argue that a language cannot be owned. Consider the commonalities and intersections of culture. A culture that has historically been passed down in the Deaf world, where Deaf individuals with Deaf parents and Deaf parents of Codas share certain behaviors, values and beliefs, including, but not always, sign language. This brings me back to the assumptions that I mentioned at the beginning of this post.
Assumptions about Codas...
Assumptions:
With his permission, Adrian Bailey, a British Coda who is the current president of CODA International, shares his personal perspective which is his own and not representative of his position with CODA International:
" With regard to Andrea Hall signing the Pledge of Allegiance...
Here is my personal position on this issue. Not something I share every day, but on this occasion of unity and on a day when the country that leads the free world is making its first step after the most significant test of its existence, I figure I’ll make an exception.
We need to make clarifying distinctions between the intersections of being [C]oda and of signing. Sign languages are not a given for all deaf people (though they should be) and are not a given for all Codas (though they should be). It should not be controversial that people whose first language, or home language, is a signed language chooses to use that language in private or in public. Sign languages go beyond functionality and access. They have cultures and histories and powers of their own.
While exposure to those languages and that language modality often converges with experience of and close contact with deaf people, that is not guaranteed. Many of our [C]oda brothers and sisters do not sign. Many of their parents do not sign. We still share powerful stories and experiences with them. They are our family.
This Coda signs. She is clearly a heritage signer who had a position and a platform to show the world her heritage and was at once soaring and grounded. To attempt to clip her wings is to perpetuate the most pernicious prejudice and to prolong the real healing that needs to happen within and across our communities."
However, others would assert differently...
Sarah Hafer, a Certified Deaf interpreter and heritage language user of ASL, presented at Street Leverage in 2017 in St. Paul Minnesota. Here's a direct link to her presentation regarding interpreters in the Deaf community and recognizing their place in the Deaf community.
In this presentation, Hafer shares a pre-recorded video of Swanhilda Lily, where she clarifies the differences between culture and heritage. Her quote below was translated and taken from Street Leverage's website:
"A culture is defined as a community of people sharing a common language and set of values. With specific reference to the Deaf community, the culture is made up of individuals having a so-called “audiological impairment” as perceived by those in the hearing-centric world at large.
In contrast, heritage refers to the intergenerational passing down of a particular culture. In the Deaf World, Deaf individuals with Deaf parents and [C]odas (individuals who can hear with Deaf parents) are the heritage speakers of ASL and owners of Deaf culture. Together, the members of these two groups (culture and heritage) constitute the owners of the culture."
Some may argue that a language cannot be owned. Consider the commonalities and intersections of culture. A culture that has historically been passed down in the Deaf world, where Deaf individuals with Deaf parents and Deaf parents of Codas share certain behaviors, values and beliefs, including, but not always, sign language. This brings me back to the assumptions that I mentioned at the beginning of this post.
Assumptions about Codas...
Assumptions:
- Codas are hearing individuals, aka who do not belong to the Deaf community.
- Codas do not authentically represent the Deaf community.
- My truth: Codas are hearing individuals, yet they are hearing individuals who have at least one Deaf parent, which makes us a heritage member of the Deaf community.
- ASL or signed languages only belong to Deaf, Deaf Blind, hard of hearing people.
- My truth: Codas are heritage language users of signed languages and therefore, I own ASL as my native language, my home language, often known amongst Codas as our heart language. It is often how we communicate with our parents, our family, and community.
- All Codas sign fluently.
- My truth: For the Deaf parents who have sign language fluency, those who do sign to their children may also be told by medical or educational professionals NOT to sign with their children for fear that it will prevent their English acquisition. This is language deprivation for Codas. This, amongst many other factors, impacts fluency of sign language, including the fact that dominant society utilizes the dominant language, English, to instruct all children regardless of their native or heritage language.
With his permission, Adrian Bailey, a British Coda who is the current president of CODA International, shares his personal perspective which is his own and not representative of his position with CODA International:
" With regard to Andrea Hall signing the Pledge of Allegiance...
Here is my personal position on this issue. Not something I share every day, but on this occasion of unity and on a day when the country that leads the free world is making its first step after the most significant test of its existence, I figure I’ll make an exception.
We need to make clarifying distinctions between the intersections of being [C]oda and of signing. Sign languages are not a given for all deaf people (though they should be) and are not a given for all Codas (though they should be). It should not be controversial that people whose first language, or home language, is a signed language chooses to use that language in private or in public. Sign languages go beyond functionality and access. They have cultures and histories and powers of their own.
While exposure to those languages and that language modality often converges with experience of and close contact with deaf people, that is not guaranteed. Many of our [C]oda brothers and sisters do not sign. Many of their parents do not sign. We still share powerful stories and experiences with them. They are our family.
This Coda signs. She is clearly a heritage signer who had a position and a platform to show the world her heritage and was at once soaring and grounded. To attempt to clip her wings is to perpetuate the most pernicious prejudice and to prolong the real healing that needs to happen within and across our communities."
Real Healing? Intersections & Solidarity...
Codas and Deaf people have completely different lived experiences. And yet, we have intersections that overlap as Deaf parents are the ones who give birth to and raise K/Codas.
Several Codas have also spoken about the issue of belonging and how we live on the border of two communities, the Deaf AND nondeaf communities. Codas are not hearing people who learned ASL because they thought it was cool or because they wanted to profit off of it, especially in the case of Captain Andrea Hall sharing the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language.
Codas embody resistance against eugenics. Some of them are fluent in sign language, some are not. If they sign, it is often because it is the heritage language they used during their formative years, without formal education, to communicate with their parents. Some of us sign in our sleep, some of us sign concerts to our parents, and some of us sign to dedicate public ceremonies by signing for our parents.
While there are several assumptions that I have mentioned, there is one more I want to explore in regards to Captain Hall's rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance...
With the permission from the author, Sara Pierce, I share another Coda's perspective regarding this assumption:
"In 1976, Louise Fletcher won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her Deaf mother and father using ASL. She didn't do that to show off her interpreting skills. She did it because she was a Child of Deaf Parents and proud of her heritage, and she wanted to include her parents as they watched her on that stage. Was it perfect ASL? No. She was nervous and emotional. But she signed her acceptance because she wanted to include her love for her Deaf family. At that time, Deaf and hearing alike were so impressed by this moment. No one thought to scrutinize her signing skills. She was a movie actress, not an interpreter. And it made all of us proud that she recognized that wonderful C[oda] aspect that helped her get where she was.
Now it's 2021. Andrea Hall, Black female Firefighter, who happens to be a C[oda], is chosen to say the Pledge of Allegiance at Biden's inauguration ceremony. She gets on stage in full uniform to represent the firefighters of Fulton, GA, and she chooses also to sign as she speaks the Pledge, because she is proud of her heritage as the Child of Deaf Parents. My eyes welled up with tears because I could feel that pride.
However, there are some haters out there who chose to chide her for wearing gloves (full dress uniforms can't be altered), and for her choice of signs. Seriously??? Was she asked to sign the Pledge? No. Is she an interpreter? No. Was she taking advantage of the Deaf community by getting paid extra for signing? No. Did you miss the part where she is Black, female, and working as a First Responder? That's her job. That's who she was representing. And the fact that she simply wanted to include her parents is just icing on a very beautiful cake.
Please don't mess with a moment. Let's have that moment and be content."
We are in a unique time of history, where recognition of sign language is happening front and center during one of the most sacred political events in American democracy. Regardless of your initial reaction, we have the opportunity to pursue a deeper understanding of each other. To move toward real healing by seeking understanding, solidarity, and inclusion. It's a time to celebrate and consider what each of us can do, to engage in discussion, and to take action toward peace with ourselves and others.
As I look ahead, I have much hope for our communities... ASL and signed languages are for us! I look forward to future discussions regarding topics such as privilege, language deprivation, and so on.
I am excited as I see individuals, organizations, and spaces in social media creating bridges, coalitions, welcoming inclusion, and seeking peace in our country and our world. 2020, you'll go down in history... 2021, I see much light and love already....
Thank you Captain Hall for giving many of us a chance to explore our identities, show our pride, and show our support for the America we want to see.
Several Codas have also spoken about the issue of belonging and how we live on the border of two communities, the Deaf AND nondeaf communities. Codas are not hearing people who learned ASL because they thought it was cool or because they wanted to profit off of it, especially in the case of Captain Andrea Hall sharing the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language.
Codas embody resistance against eugenics. Some of them are fluent in sign language, some are not. If they sign, it is often because it is the heritage language they used during their formative years, without formal education, to communicate with their parents. Some of us sign in our sleep, some of us sign concerts to our parents, and some of us sign to dedicate public ceremonies by signing for our parents.
While there are several assumptions that I have mentioned, there is one more I want to explore in regards to Captain Hall's rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance...
- All Codas are interpreters
With the permission from the author, Sara Pierce, I share another Coda's perspective regarding this assumption:
"In 1976, Louise Fletcher won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her Deaf mother and father using ASL. She didn't do that to show off her interpreting skills. She did it because she was a Child of Deaf Parents and proud of her heritage, and she wanted to include her parents as they watched her on that stage. Was it perfect ASL? No. She was nervous and emotional. But she signed her acceptance because she wanted to include her love for her Deaf family. At that time, Deaf and hearing alike were so impressed by this moment. No one thought to scrutinize her signing skills. She was a movie actress, not an interpreter. And it made all of us proud that she recognized that wonderful C[oda] aspect that helped her get where she was.
Now it's 2021. Andrea Hall, Black female Firefighter, who happens to be a C[oda], is chosen to say the Pledge of Allegiance at Biden's inauguration ceremony. She gets on stage in full uniform to represent the firefighters of Fulton, GA, and she chooses also to sign as she speaks the Pledge, because she is proud of her heritage as the Child of Deaf Parents. My eyes welled up with tears because I could feel that pride.
However, there are some haters out there who chose to chide her for wearing gloves (full dress uniforms can't be altered), and for her choice of signs. Seriously??? Was she asked to sign the Pledge? No. Is she an interpreter? No. Was she taking advantage of the Deaf community by getting paid extra for signing? No. Did you miss the part where she is Black, female, and working as a First Responder? That's her job. That's who she was representing. And the fact that she simply wanted to include her parents is just icing on a very beautiful cake.
Please don't mess with a moment. Let's have that moment and be content."
We are in a unique time of history, where recognition of sign language is happening front and center during one of the most sacred political events in American democracy. Regardless of your initial reaction, we have the opportunity to pursue a deeper understanding of each other. To move toward real healing by seeking understanding, solidarity, and inclusion. It's a time to celebrate and consider what each of us can do, to engage in discussion, and to take action toward peace with ourselves and others.
As I look ahead, I have much hope for our communities... ASL and signed languages are for us! I look forward to future discussions regarding topics such as privilege, language deprivation, and so on.
I am excited as I see individuals, organizations, and spaces in social media creating bridges, coalitions, welcoming inclusion, and seeking peace in our country and our world. 2020, you'll go down in history... 2021, I see much light and love already....
Thank you Captain Hall for giving many of us a chance to explore our identities, show our pride, and show our support for the America we want to see.
Author: Rosalinda Clifford signing " I support America, America I support!"
**ASL sign for America Etymology: 1) Origins of the interlocking fingers that sway in a circular fashion represent people in unity 2) Others believe it represents a cabin.
Seeking unity in our beautiful country and world! Always seeking and learning. A special shout out to all of those who have bravely shared your journey publicly over the past few days. Thank you!
Author is a white Coda cisgender woman, of Jewish, Italian, and German decent with a Brazilian immigrant Deaf mother. Author is also looking for fellow authors interested in sharing their Coda experiences and journey toward understanding identity, intersectionality, inequality, and inclusion.
**ASL sign for America Etymology: 1) Origins of the interlocking fingers that sway in a circular fashion represent people in unity 2) Others believe it represents a cabin.
Seeking unity in our beautiful country and world! Always seeking and learning. A special shout out to all of those who have bravely shared your journey publicly over the past few days. Thank you!
Author is a white Coda cisgender woman, of Jewish, Italian, and German decent with a Brazilian immigrant Deaf mother. Author is also looking for fellow authors interested in sharing their Coda experiences and journey toward understanding identity, intersectionality, inequality, and inclusion.
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Purpose
This page is dedicated to sharing experiences and reclaiming what it means to be a hearing person with at least one Deaf parent, where a fishbowl approach is used to create a safe space.
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