Am I (D)eaf?

[jillio]

I will help you!

Oh, I see how it is. You guys are going to gang up on me now, huh?

 

[jillio]

The way I see Byrdie saying it is, (correct me if I'm wrong Byrdie, and he's probably gone to sleep for the night) the Deafblind is another spinoff of the Deaf community.

Just like how Cued Speech is another spinoff of ASL, but not literally.

Actually, CS doesn't have anything to do with ASL, but with spoken English. It was invented by hearing, of the hearing, for the deaf.

 

[Byrdie714]

Oh, I see how it is. You guys are going to gang up on me now, huh?

 

[jillio]

Now this is an interesting debate. Unfortunatly the other thread was closed. I think Deaf friendly hearing parents CAN help transmit Deaf Culture to their dhh kids even if they aren't dhh themselves.
It's not culture as in familial, but on the other hand, faire jour DID try to see which culture was best for her daughter, by letting her daughter choose which langunage and methodology she wanted. Although that's rare, I think that could be simalir to the "cultral transmission" seen in some adopative families where the adoptive families try to transmit the culture of their adoptive kids to them.

The difference being, adoptive families allow those with knowledge of the culture to transmit such to their children. One cannot transmit what one does not understand. Nor can one transmit what one doesn't live, as much of the transmission is accomplished not through direct teaching, but simply from putting into practice the norms and values in everyday life.

 

[jillio]

Deaf-blind is a sub-culture of the Deaf culture. The D/B may have some of the same struggles as the big "D" does but as I reiterated--it's a sub-culture due to the norms, values, that they have that doesn't parallel with the Deaf culture.



Deaf friendly hearing parents can always transmit deaf community but not Deaf culture until a significant amount of time has pass and will be part of the deaf community.

Exactly. I never attempted to transmit Deaf culture to my son. I allowed members of the Deaf community to do that, not just to him, but to me, as well. And it isn't something picked up in a short amount of time. It takes years of exposure. There is no guidebook that says, "Okay, this is what is the norm in Deaf Culture." You have to have exposure to and interact with the members of the culture to pick up on all the nuances. And the exposure and interaction has to be continual. You can't just spend a couple of years in that pursuit, and then say that you understand what it is all about. Deaf Culture, like any culture, is always evolving and changing. It is dynamic, not stagnant.

 

[Hear Again]

I'm not so sure the deafblind have their own culture. For years, the deafblind and blind communities have debated whether they have one, but IMO, I don't think they do.

 

[Hear Again]

The way I see Byrdie saying it is, (correct me if I'm wrong Byrdie, and he's probably gone to sleep for the night) the Deafblind is another spinoff of the Deaf community.

Just like how Cued Speech is another spinoff of ASL, but not literally.

From that perspective, I can understand. naisho.

 

[Hear Again]

I heard from my CI audi. Jillio and I were correct. I'm postlingual -- not prelingual.

 

[Jolie77]

Don't mind me for a minute -- but -- this is sort of a vent related to this d/D issue. It is based on how I've seen it through the d/Deaf community as per my experience.

Some of it are positive and some of it are negative.

Often time, I'd meet other Deaf people who are from deaf family, or have strong ties to the deaf community - They have been more than welcoming other people to get in but that is not always the case.

Understandably, They cherish and value their culture which is fine (and I do cherish it too) but I often see that they use it as a reason to put down other deaf people who comes from a hearing family, oral background, or has a Cochlear Implant or a person who is not an avid ASL user. It's this kind of attitude which makes my stomach churn. These kind of people acts like when they come from a deaf family - it automatically gives them the way to pave to say they are better than the rest when it isn't the case.

I've encountered with some Deaf people who says they won't even go out with someone or much less marry someone who comes from a hearing family or has the norms/values of a hearing people.

I also can speak and read lips pretty well enough to carry a conversation with a hearing person and when that happens, they're saying "Why do you have to speak? What's wrong with using a paper and a pen?" - I sometime have to get in line to explain that I do use the paper and the pen as a form to communicate with hearing people only if a barrier occurs but it does not mean that I will always do it. I sometime find it easier to speak/read lips with a hearing person and at times, I'm not in the mood to write something if I were to want to get message across quicker. I even was once asked "You just to speak because you're saying you're better than the rest of us". WTF? :roll:

As strange as it sounds - sometime it has it's own advantage of establishing a network. Even though, My parents are hearing and I'm actively involved in the deaf community - they still in some way don't see that I'm "deaf enough". What gives?

I think in overall - it does not matter if you are deaf or Deaf. Sure, We may have came from different culture/backgrounds or been raised differently. That is in no way to put down one and nother just because of that. Regardless of the diversity of our experience/background - We are still DEAF, period. It doesn't matter if we come from a deaf family or from a hearing family.

It is fine to be proud to be d/Deaf and you should be proud of who you are because that is it is your identity and it should not be a reason to shrew others out. We already have been encountered with oppression for the last few hundred years, and why should we get the oppression from our own people given of how the norms/value/cultures are presented like that?

Ok, I think I have said enough for now but yeah, here it is for stating my .

 

[Daredevel7]

Thanks for the insight Jolie! Seems like it's more like 3 cents.

 

[Byrdie714]

No comment.

 

[Byrdie714]

Don't mind me for a minute -- but -- this is sort of a vent related to this d/D issue. It is based on how I've seen it through the d/Deaf community as per my experience.

Some of it are positive and some of it are negative.

Often time, I'd meet other Deaf people who are from deaf family, or have strong ties to the deaf community - They have been more than welcoming other people to get in but that is not always the case.

Understandably, They cherish and value their culture which is fine (and I do cherish it too) but I often see that they use it as a reason to put down other deaf people who comes from a hearing family, oral background, or has a Cochlear Implant or a person who is not an avid ASL user. It's this kind of attitude which makes my stomach churn. These kind of people acts like when they come from a deaf family - it automatically gives them the way to pave to say they are better than the rest when it isn't the case.

I've encountered with some Deaf people who says they won't even go out with someone or much less marry someone who comes from a hearing family or has the norms/values of a hearing people.

I also can speak and read lips pretty well enough to carry a conversation with a hearing person and when that happens, they're saying "Why do you have to speak? What's wrong with using a paper and a pen?" - I sometime have to get in line to explain that I do use the paper and the pen as a form to communicate with hearing people only if a barrier occurs but it does not mean that I will always do it. I sometime find it easier to speak/read lips with a hearing person and at times, I'm not in the mood to write something if I were to want to get message across quicker. I even was once asked "You just to speak because you're saying you're better than the rest of us". WTF? :roll:

As strange as it sounds - sometime it has it's own advantage of establishing a network. Even though, My parents are hearing and I'm actively involved in the deaf community - they still in some way don't see that I'm "deaf enough". What gives?

I think in overall - it does not matter if you are deaf or Deaf. Sure, We may have came from different culture/backgrounds or been raised differently. That is in no way to put down one and nother just because of that. Regardless of the diversity of our experience/background - We are still DEAF, period. It doesn't matter if we come from a deaf family or from a hearing family.

It is fine to be proud to be d/Deaf and you should be proud of who you are because that is it is your identity and it should not be a reason to shrew others out. We already have been encountered with oppression for the last few hundred years, and why should we get the oppression from our own people given of how the norms/value/cultures are presented like that?

Ok, I think I have said enough for now but yeah, here it is for stating my .

Nice post except for the bolded part.....

For the members of the deaf community that don't understand the Deaf Culture part of it is probably due to not being exposed to the historical part of it.

Yes we have books where one can read up on the injustices of being deaf. Famous deaf people, etc

However to truly understand the culture aspect of it is when one has historical "deaf-modification" techniques from the 1800's, books on educating the Deaf, the old fashion hearing aids, old speech equipment teaching deaf, the old TTY, among others that has been passed down from generation to generation in the family. It definately gives one a greater appreciation of their Deaf family and the trials and tribulations that one had to go through.

Which brings me to my new question/idea. Since we have museums dedicated to certain minority groups in this country--why don't we have a museum dedicated to being Deaf in America?

 

[Bottesini]

Nice post except for the bolded part.....

For the members of the deaf community that don't understand the Deaf Culture part of it is probably due to not being exposed to the historical part of it.

Yes we have books where one can read up on the injustices of being deaf. Famous deaf people, etc

However to truly understand the culture aspect of it is when one has historical "deaf-modification" techniques from the 1800's, books on educating the Deaf, the old fashion hearing aids, old speech equipment teaching deaf, the old TTY, among others that has been passed down from generation to generation in the family. It definately gives one a greater appreciation of their Deaf family and the trials and tribulations that one had to go through.

Which brings me to my new question/idea. Since we have museums dedicated to certain minority groups in this country--why don't we have a museum dedicated to being Deaf in America?

Here's a link to one.
Barr Productions Deaf Culture Museum

 

[Byrdie714]

Here's a link to one.
Barr Productions Deaf Culture Museum

I saw that. Impressive--just wish that it also included art works from well known Deaf painters, etc.

 

[Bottesini]

I saw that. Impressive--just wish that it also included art works from well known Deaf painters, etc.

That would be good. I especially like Chuck Baird.

 

[Byrdie714]

That would be good. I especially like Chuck Baird.

Ih yeah! I have several of his art work as well as Ann Silver's. I am a big fan of her's--probably because we hang out together from time to time.

 

[naisho]

Actually, CS doesn't have anything to do with ASL, but with spoken English. It was invented by hearing, of the hearing, for the deaf.

Ah ha, thank you for the correction. I suppose I drew the wrong analogy, I was trying to draw my conclusion based on the form of communication presented - as in different handstrokes, shapes, etc.

my .

Jolie, I was reading your response on my phone and I was like,
But now I can see it on a screen, I have to say I agree with your statement with two thumbs up and grinning.

 

[Byrdie714]

Ah ha, thank you for the correction. I suppose I drew the wrong analogy, I was trying to draw my conclusion based on the form of communication presented - as in different handstrokes, shapes, etc.



Jolie, I was reading your response on my phone and I was like,
But now I can see it on a screen, I have to say I agree with your statement with two thumbs up and grinning.

What?! No Borat in a mankini??

 

[jillio]

What?! No Borat in a mankini??

Come on naisho....give Byrdie his mankini before he throws a hissy fit!

 

[naisho]

Come on naisho....give Byrdie his mankini before he throws a hissy fit!

Is it byrd's bad day?

Didn't read all of the topics, but did you get him moded or something?

Ok, here you go Byrd.
I made it PG-13 so anyone can see it without problems in this topic.

To [Byrdie], I love you! From Kazakhstan with love.