Being Hearing in a Deaf World

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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I've got to agree with AJ. I don't think its fair to generalize all hearing people as completely ignorant of deaf culture. The majority of hearing people? Yes. But it is not impossible to educate them. There are even some deaf people who are uneducated about deaf culture. And hearing people are alot more accepting of deaf people than in the past. Now more than ever. In the past deaf people were looked down upon, thought to be mentally challenged and uneducateable. Thats certainly not the case today. But deaf culture is as foreign to hearing people as any other culture.

And I don't understand how your ethnicity would play into how hearing people accepting you, a deaf person. Please clarify.
 
i have no problems having a few hearie friends in MY deaf world as well ;)

YES there are some TRULY STUPID hearies out there and those are the hearies i have NO respect for nor am going to waste my time with!
 
do u guys think there will ever be a time when hearing people and deaf people will get along? do u think the relationship will get better? worse?
 
I didn't say ALL, you did. This is based on my personal experiences and if that is ignorant so be it.

If you're black and deaf, you have it worse. Not only will black people who are hearing won't talk to you; black people who are deaf won't either.
 
Sophia26 said:
I didn't say ALL, you did. This is based on my personal experiences and if that is ignorant so be it.

If you're black and deaf, you have it worse. Not only will black people who are hearing won't talk to you; black people who are deaf won't either.
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well that sounds like their loss to me.
 
I'm so happy to hear that some of you would accept someone like me into your circle. I need to know that sitting in front of my VCR every day for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hrs might pay off some day. I do this completely on my own time.

It's hard work trying to learn this language. I don't want to do a half ass job. I got my videos from the Boston Public Library.

Now I have to find a group of deaf people who will be willing to put up with my mediocre sign.
 
Message for JB

Jellybean,

I applaud your efforts to learn sign, but watching videos isn't enough. If you can take evening classes at a community college or join a deaf bowling league, this will help improve your skills significantly. Even so, it will take time and plenty of socializing with the deaf to become fluent. I was in your shoes myself when I started college and it took me nine years of classes to get my degree. Hang in there and try to be patient.
 
ill ask again. do u think that the relationship between hearing people and deaf people will get better in the future? do u think it will get worse? do u think it will stay the same. do u care? lol
 
AJ said:
ill ask again. do u think that the relationship between hearing people and deaf people will get better in the future? do u think it will get worse? do u think it will stay the same. do u care? lol
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To tell you this, I dont know. Yes, I have some hearing friends who dont sign much but they are always interested in learning with me. They feel that we, the deafie and hearing ppl should get along so good and teach each other signing language. If we do, the hearing and deaf world would work together. The relationship between deaf and hearing might be hard at first but if they just take one step at a time, they can get along well.

AJ, does this answer your question? :thumb:
 
it's damn near impossible for a hearing person to be "accepted" into the deaf community, short of being a CODA or something...but you can certainly "interact" with the deaf community.

i only really know SEE, cause i use sign languange in an education environment, so im extremely self-conscious and shy about my signing to deaf or hearing people for that matter, outside my circle of friends. add to that the fact im naturally mortally afraid of meeting new people in awkward social situtations, and you have a nice mix of "why doesn't he ever talk?" when im around deaf people.

every deaf person i've met that matters to me, has been accepting of me being hearing, and only using SEE, but i've heard the horror stories. i don't really want to be "part" of the deaf community, i just like to sign and make new friends, be it deaf or hearing...why can't it just be that simple? /shrug
 
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