Every St. Patrick's Day surely remind us much of systematic oppression and societial prejudices against deaf people and its use of sign language over decades. http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2009/03/17/irish-americans-racism-whiteness/
Americans in general, have such distorted visions for Deaf Americans and other deaf people around the globe what we are supposed to be all about. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13915/multicultural_diversity_in_america.html?cat=9
Irish and deaf people keep clinging to their proud legacy and existence. The Brits systematically oppressed the Irish people under its brutal occupation. Deaf people everywhere begun experienced the systematic assaults by hearing and "Uncle Tom" deaf individuals and corporations what they knew better for us. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2084199/irish_immigrants_and_the_discriminations.html?cat=37
Both of us, deaf and Irish people had been reglated to the lower societial postitions and employments over decades.
One major difference between deaf and Irish people nowadays, the Irish people begin to be embraced well by the society, Deaf people still face the identity revision alternatives by hearing occupiers and "Uncle Tom" with the forced installment of cochlear implant surgery on our deaf babies and youngsters.
Irish people were forced off their lands. Deaf people were forced to assimilate much further to please and satisify hearing imperialists and ignorant ones like suppressing the use of sign language for greater language and intellectual development among deaf children.
Deaf people are often treated as total strangers in their own lands since the audist society were preoccupied with the normalization and assimilation of everyone else.
Why can't we simply celebrate the beauty of human diversity which make our lives more interesting and fruitful?
Note: This blogger is not an Irish or have any drop of Irish blood, but always feel soliditary with the Irish people to celebrate the annual St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully for the Irish community to return their soliditary with deaf people everywhere. :)
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2010!
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Viva Deaf Ireland! 8-)
ReplyDelete- a proud deaf half-Irish half-Chilean
Brits? Don't think it's a good idea to include Scotland and Wales in that statement, who were also oppressed nations too.
ReplyDelete