Being Hearing in a Deaf World

CODAchild said:
:eek: Ahhhhhhhh get you know cental, I see what you're saying. This has to bother you a lot when you hear things like that. Especially when it's coming from a person with the same job as your's, but, the interior of that person is different from you. Thank God you have the patience and the understanding to know it's not their fault for the misgivings the deaf go through. Thank you for sharing that, it made it much clearer for me what you were trying to explain.
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Sadly, it makes me nervous to bring up that I plan on attending GPC's ASL terp program just because they're good friends of mine, and their opinions still do matter to me.
 
It is old between deaf and hearing. Been going on for long time. Then we have another problem among deaf community. Deaf against deaf.

I am sorry you had to deal with them sometime.

of course we don't like the label, deaf and dumb. It offended us somehow.
 
jazzy said:
Then we have another problem among deaf community. Deaf against deaf. QUOTE]

So true, it still goes on...It is still the same for other races.
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downing said:
This is the most amazing post that I have read in a while. I am deaf myself, I grew up in hearing world with so little education in the deaf culture. I was mainstreamed in public schools all the way through college where deaf program was very small. I was fully exposured to the deaf culture when I attended RIT with very little knowledge of NTID. I was in awe of shock that I never saw a great number of deaf people/culture there. I ended up being roommate with someone who came from strong generation of deafness in her family.

It was very difficult at first because she was so strong in ASL and very proud of her deaf culture and me being total communication (Excat English and Oral), we were able to break down barriers between us. We still remain good friends today, I can feel the excat thing what you feel when you are approached by deaf people. They did not accept you being hearing person with knowledge of sign language, I felt the excat same thing when I tried to approach deaf people who had strong deaf culture background. They did not accept me at all even I am profound deaf person myself. Deaf people gave me a sign that I couldn't figure for 6 months until my roommate finally confessed to me what it meant. I was signing the sign over my forehead in circle telling people that I am trying to become a hearing person.

I was in shock and hurt, I realized there is so many barriers that needs to be broken down, nothing can be done as you mentioned Ingorance and fear which is so quite true. I agree this is quite an learning experience for each person in different approach that they face every day.

You mentioned, "I made this post to see what u guys thought about hearing people and the relationships between hearing and deaf", I am proud of what you are doing right here.

I am still in my hearing world and trying to conquer deaf world at same time. I am married to a wonderful deaf guy (He grew up oral, never knowing sign language until his college yrs) that we both bore two wonderful hearing boys even there is no deafness in both of our families. I have to divide and balance my time share between both worlds. Having this challenge to go through both worlds is worth all my time trying to learn.

Thanks for the post, I applause you.......downing
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Ouch! I've been called that too when I was 11 - just started a deaf school in Hawaii after years of being in mainstreamed school. You're right, it's ignorance that breeds such fools.

Eventually, that hearing wannabe sign lost its meaning to me - and I've even laughed when people call me that. Usually I know they use it to tease me without malicious intentions- y'see, in Norway many deaf people are raised orally... and I went to a folkehøgskole for 10 months.. we all called each other with that sign. We all laughed, and learned so much about our relative deaf cultures. I think it's silly because I cannot lipread well, nor can I use my voice. I use signs completely. :rofl:

So the sign doesn't really bother me... I mean, I wouldn't try offending others with it... the ones I don't know really well anyway *teasing* It has no power over me, anyway. Eventually we gotta dissolve others' power over us, you know?
 
Hey, with a hearing man as my significant other, it is obvious I have no qualms with hearing people. Sometimes I think that I have the most qualms with my OWN people, the deaf population. For starters, I love to explore the world, travel, get to know different cultures and countries, do different hobbies such as hiking and gardening, etc... I feel as if I am an independent person, and not afraid to go out in the world. I have noticed that some deaf people have labelled me as a hearie "cos I act like one." Heck, I find it hard to believe sometimes cos I work as a tutor at an ASL laboratory in a college, support most of the deaf causes and understand the deaf community quite well.

I have had an interpreter (who is hearing BTW) tell me "You are the most hearing deaf person I have ever met!" I was offended by that statement, and asked what she meant exactly by that. She apparently compared me saying that no deaf person she knows of knows several languages, going out in the world to travel, being educated in a wide range of subjects, etc... I told her: "well that doesn't make me hearing, just enlightened."

Apparently, it seems to me that some deaf people automatically label people like me as hearies or hearing, without even trying to get to know who I am. Sure, I do speak with my voice at home with my boyfriend, but I can't readlip squat! LOL... It's part of growing up in a hearing family. My family made sure that I was to be educated the right way, and not to allow my deafness be the reason for me to not be educated properly. I was exposed to many things when I was growing up, they took me to places, explained everything and so on. I'll never forget it, and when I told them that, they simply said that they only did their job as they would do with any hearing child. My being deaf made no difference to them. Just a difference in communication delivery, thats all.

Anyway, I view everyone as individuals, and do not subscribe to clannish groups like exclusive deaf groups and so on. My friends are both deaf and hearing, because I don't label them as such. I just view them as their own individuals. What plays the most important role for me is their attitudes and personalities, if they're affiable or not, etc...
 
downing said:
This is the most amazing post that I have read in a while. I am deaf myself, I grew up in hearing world with so little education in the deaf culture. I was mainstreamed in public schools all the way through college where deaf program was very small. I was fully exposured to the deaf culture when I attended RIT with very little knowledge of NTID. I was in awe of shock that I never saw a great number of deaf people/culture there. I ended up being roommate with someone who came from strong generation of deafness in her family.

It was very difficult at first because she was so strong in ASL and very proud of her deaf culture and me being total communication (Excat English and Oral), we were able to break down barriers between us. We still remain good friends today, I can feel the excat thing what you feel when you are approached by deaf people. They did not accept you being hearing person with knowledge of sign language, I felt the excat same thing when I tried to approach deaf people who had strong deaf culture background. They did not accept me at all even I am profound deaf person myself. Deaf people gave me a sign that I couldn't figure for 6 months until my roommate finally confessed to me what it meant. I was signing the sign over my forehead in circle telling people that I am trying to become a hearing person.

I was in shock and hurt, I realized there is so many barriers that needs to be broken down, nothing can be done as you mentioned Ingorance and fear which is so quite true. I agree this is quite an learning experience for each person in different approach that they face every day.

You mentioned, "I made this post to see what u guys thought about hearing people and the relationships between hearing and deaf", I am proud of what you are doing right here.

I am still in my hearing world and trying to conquer deaf world at same time. I am married to a wonderful deaf guy (He grew up oral, never knowing sign language until his college yrs) that we both bore two wonderful hearing boys even there is no deafness in both of our families. I have to divide and balance my time share between both worlds. Having this challenge to go through both worlds is worth all my time trying to learn.

Thanks for the post, I applause you.......downing
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:applause: to you too for opening your heart, breaking down those barriers and giving both cultures a chance to unite.
 
I could imagine what it would be like to be hearing in the deaf environment. Sometimes a smart deafie could be considered "Egotical" to most deaf community even though when they're not. Sometimes some deaf intellectuals could look DOWN at deaf community as an affront to society. There are few deaf intellectuals that support and defend deaf society 100% with unfailing loyalty. Some deaf society could be extremely isolated against hearing world because they might look at hearing world as "one" thing whereas it is actually diverse. Sometimes there are deaf society that lived in one area for most of their lives, viewing at rest of the world as if it is the same locally. If local treated them bad, then the rest of the world are all the same, "Stereotyping" in their own point of view.
 
kuifje75 said:
Hey, with a hearing man as my significant other, it is obvious I have no qualms with hearing people. Sometimes I think that I have the most qualms with my OWN people, the deaf population. For starters, I love to explore the world, travel, get to know different cultures and countries, do different hobbies such as hiking and gardening, etc... I feel as if I am an independent person, and not afraid to go out in the world. I have noticed that some deaf people have labelled me as a hearie "cos I act like one." Heck, I find it hard to believe sometimes cos I work as a tutor at an ASL laboratory in a college, support most of the deaf causes and understand the deaf community quite well.

I have had an interpreter (who is hearing BTW) tell me "You are the most hearing deaf person I have ever met!" I was offended by that statement, and asked what she meant exactly by that. She apparently compared me saying that no deaf person she knows of knows several languages, going out in the world to travel, being educated in a wide range of subjects, etc... I told her: "well that doesn't make me hearing, just enlightened."

Apparently, it seems to me that some deaf people automatically label people like me as hearies or hearing, without even trying to get to know who I am. Sure, I do speak with my voice at home with my boyfriend, but I can't readlip squat! LOL... It's part of growing up in a hearing family. My family made sure that I was to be educated the right way, and not to allow my deafness be the reason for me to not be educated properly. I was exposed to many things when I was growing up, they took me to places, explained everything and so on. I'll never forget it, and when I told them that, they simply said that they only did their job as they would do with any hearing child. My being deaf made no difference to them. Just a difference in communication delivery, thats all.

Anyway, I view everyone as individuals, and do not subscribe to clannish groups like exclusive deaf groups and so on. My friends are both deaf and hearing, because I don't label them as such. I just view them as their own individuals. What plays the most important role for me is their attitudes and personalities, if they're affiable or not, etc...
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:nono: That is so unfair of these people to label you like that. You are who you are and they need to accept this. How can one broaden their horizon if they stay with the same person day after day without going out and meeting new people whether they are deaf or hearing. You have the right to be with whoever you want to be, also the people you feel most comfortable with whether they be hearing or deaf. These people could learn a good lesson from you.
 
cental34 said:
Sadly, it makes me nervous to bring up that I plan on attending GPC's ASL terp program just because they're good friends of mine, and their opinions still do matter to me.
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:thumb: That is great!! I know you will do fine. God knows we need more interpreters in this country. Good luck Cental.
 
jazzy said:
It is old between deaf and hearing. Been going on for long time. Then we have another problem among deaf community. Deaf against deaf.

I am sorry you had to deal with them sometime.

of course we don't like the label, deaf and dumb. It offended us somehow.
Click to expand...
:pissed: I cannot stand that term "deaf and dumb", and I know they used that term many years ago. They still use it today, and the term "mute", that bothers me too. The only time that word "mute" should be used is in regards to the TV or music being too loud.
 
BabyAngel said:
I have to agree with you. There are some deafies out there in the world are rude, I was hoping that we would have a lot of deafies that are more friendly and welcome hearing world come into deaf world so they can learn about deaf community and we can learn about their community too...don't you agree?
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yup. that is what I am doing to educate the hearing world, but they tend to forget that I am deaf. it's difficult but that is life.
 
CODAchild said:
:pissed: I cannot stand that term "deaf and dumb", and I know they used that term many years ago. They still use it today, and the term "mute", that bothers me too. The only time that word "mute" should be used is in regards to the TV or music being too loud.
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That is exactly right! Right on.
 
CODAchild said:
:thumb: That is great!! I know you will do fine. God knows we need more interpreters in this country. Good luck Cental.
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Thank you very much. I took the first steps just today by contacting GPC about enrolling, and found out what I have to go through in order to enroll. I'm gonna need God for this one, but I'm very excited about it.
 
Hearing People are totally ignorant when it comes to deaf people and I should know as I found myself being more and more isolated now that I'm older. Hearing people aren't accepting as it was before. Also I don't want to play the race card here but seeing that I'm black, it's more difficult for me.
 
cental34 said:
Thank you very much. I took the first steps just today by contacting GPC about enrolling, and found out what I have to go through in order to enroll. I'm gonna need God for this one, but I'm very excited about it.
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Praying for you, girl. Right?
 
kuifje75 said:
...I have had an interpreter (who is hearing BTW) tell me "You are the most hearing deaf person I have ever met!" I was offended by that statement, and asked what she meant exactly by that. She apparently compared me saying that no deaf person she knows of knows several languages, going out in the world to travel, being educated in a wide range of subjects, etc... I told her: "well that doesn't make me hearing, just enlightened."
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Good answer! :thumb:
 
Sophia26 said:
Hearing People are totally ignorant when it comes to deaf people and I should know as I found myself being more and more isolated now that I'm older. Hearing people aren't accepting as it was before. Also I don't want to play the race card here but seeing that I'm black, it's more difficult for me.
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im sorry but i have to disagree with u. i am hearing and im not ignorant towards deaf people...or even people of different race for that matter. i agree with u that there ARE ignorant hearing people, believe me i know some. but i also know MANY MANY hearing people that arent ignorant. like i said my aunt patty teaches ASL in high school...and all those kids love the deaf culture. and thats a lot of damn kids, well in the hundreds of kids. there are good people out there u just got to search for them. and if u dont mind me saying so, i feel that, that statement u just made is ignorant.
 
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