In what ways can linguistic discrimination happen in our communities? by Clara Bauler

cbauler — 2024-08-11 16:01:32 UTC

Please read these assignment instructions BEFORE you post.

2024-09-15 23:28:42 UTC

INTERVIEW ANSWERS:

YOSELIN:

I am from Mexico
I have been in America for nine years. (2015-present)
Yes, I believe there is language discrimination in the United States, especially towards uncommonly heard languages.
Yes, I have faced discrimination in the United States, especially as a Mexican who mainly speaks Spanish with relatives in public.
When I face racism I simply ignore it and try to avoid contact with whoever is being disrespectful to me. I think it's important to ignore rude comments for my own safety.
People in Mexico do not have an accent however once they come to the United States, the sudden change of dialogue makes them have an accent.
I think accents are simply made up by society due to how one speaks or sounds.
An important holiday in my country is the day of death, in my language, Dia de los Muertos, this is an important holiday because we believe there is no see you in the afterlife instead we believe that our loved ones come back to visit us every year, therefore, we celebrate them by putting an offering for them usually with their old pictures and their favorite treats, foods, and drinks.
When I meet someone new for the first time I greet any other person, with a handshake and if they are a relative or friend with a hug.
Yes, when I first came to the United States I attended a bilingual school that offered classes in Spanish. I felt very welcomed that I could quickly learn English since I also had the help of teachers who spoke Spanish and most of my classmates were Spanish speaking therefore I didn't feel like I did not fit in the new school environment.

SAMRA:

I am from Pakistan.
I have been in America for 10 years.
Yes, I believe that there is a language discrimination in the U.S.
Yes, I have faced discrimination in the U.S.
For immigrants, I think it is hard to even recognize racism. Especially, with me, I have noticed that I realize later on about what happended rather than while it happened. Initially, it really hurts you and there is nothing really you can do about it unless you are very present and active at that moment and can reply with a response that makes them aware of your value and place.
I believe that there is no such thing as an accent. Everyone has a different sound of speech and the environment where you learn languages also affects the way you speak depending on where you are from. Therefore, I think that we need to grow out of saying that people have an accent and acknowledge it as a unique speech and stop discriminating against them for it.
I believe that there is no such thing as an accent. Everyone has a different sound of speech and the environment where you learn languages also affects the way you speak depending on where you are from. Therefore, I think that we need to grow out of saying that people have an accent and acknowledge it as a unique speech and stop discriminating against them for it.
One of the most important holidays in my country is known as Eid-ul-Fitr. This holiday marks the end of Ramadan for Muslims which is a month in which muslims fast from a little before sunrise to sunset. Eid-ul-Fitr is a day of celebration for muslims. Everyone dresses up on this day, wears new clothes, visits relatives, cooks, and gives each other gifts.
When we meet someone for the first time in Pakistan we say Assalamualaikum!
During most of my educational journey, I did not feel welcomed. However, there were many times when I was welcomed and I was given the space I belong to.

OBSERVATION:

From their answers you can see that both Yoselin and Samra believe there is language discrimination in the U.S., particularly against people who speak languages or dialects that are less common in America. Yoselin’s experience revolves around discrimination for speaking Spanish publicly, while Samra reflects on how immigrants, including herself, often don't realize they are being discriminated against until later.

Both also share similar perspectives on accents. Yoselin notes that Mexicans don’t have an accent until they are placed in an environment where their language isn’t dominant, such as in the U.S. And also believes that accents are simply made up by society due to how one speaks or sounds. While Samra also states that the idea of accents is socially constructed. She believes that people’s way of speaking should not be judged or classified as having an "accent," but rather seen as a reflection of their linguistic background which should not be discriminated against. As you can see through these interviews both Yoselin and Samra challenge linguistic stereotypes and call for a change.

kaelynbernstein — 2024-09-19 00:45:20 UTC

Kaitlyn's Answers:

Spanish (Puerto Rican)
Arroz Con Pollo, which is rice with chicken
I can mostly understand English so I think I would be able to
I don't face discrimination much when it comes to my culture.
Talking to people who have the same hobbies and interests as me
I usually wave and say hi/hola depending on who it is.
I celebrate with family on Christmas, we also celebrate three kings day. On easter we go to mass and celebrate palm sunday and good friday.
When someone laughed at the way I pronounce certain words.
One of my most challenging experiences in America is definitely the language and I deal with it by continuing to learn English and incorporate it into my everyday use.
Speaking to other people, talking in class and making whole bunch of friends were the most difficult tasks for me.

Shiela's Answers:

Gaelic
Eggs, scones, potatoes, fish, stew, carrots
Yes
Yes, Ive been called "Dirty Irish" while growing up in the city and commuting to high school everyday by train.
By being kind and willing to help people.
Nice to meet you!
For Christmas, I usually go to mass and then have a meal with family and friends. On thanksgiving we watch the parade.
When I was turned down from a job because of my brough.
Learning to understand the use of different words. I would watch television a lot to help and understand the language.
Learning to travel on the subway and learning American currency.

Observation:

From both of these responses I can tell that people of different cultures have extremely different experiences while living in the Unites States. While both of the people I interviewed can mostly talk in English fluently, they still have struggles and also has a difficult time learning the language and incorporating it into their everyday use. I think a main difference if their perspectives on discrimination. My grandma (Sheila) moved here from Ireland many years ago when she was a young teenager. She faced discrimination while first moving here. But for Kaitlyn, she doesn't face much discrimination and I believe that this can highlight how our morals in this country have changed over time, even though there is still definitely discrimination in this country. I do really admire how both of these people still celebrate traditions from their cultures and still have their own lifestyles while living in America.

oliviaburger1 — 2024-09-20 01:57:25 UTC

*Click on the link to read the interview

Interviewing Adina and Claudia has allowed me to learn more about how linguistic discrimination manifests itself in everyday interactions and experiences in both overt and subtle ways. More specifically, Adina continues to experience linguistic discrimination in college as she feels like an eye sore when she speaks Russian on campus. Additionally, her peers’ reactions to learning that her first language was Russian can be characterized as microaggressions that insult her intelligence as a multilingual speaker. Similarly, Claudia faced linguistic discrimination in public when workers at an ice cream shop laughed at her abuela’s accent. Raciolingusitic perspectives, shifting the focus from the speaker’s linguistic practices to the perceiving practices of the listener are also apparent in Adina and Claudia’s experiences. For instance, Adina’s third grade teacher who would slowly sound out words to the class perceived her students' linguistic practices as inferior (an indication that they were lacking intelligence) and in need of remediation. Additionally, one can argue that Adina’s peers stare at her when she speaks Russian in college because they deem the language unusual. In Claudia’s case, the teenage workers at the ice cream shop heard and interpreted her abuela’s accent to be inferior to the English language. Adina and Claudia’s experiences shed light on the many ways in which linguistic discrimination may occur in our communities. Moreover, they serve to show that white perspectives tend to heavily influence the assessment of linguistics. For decades, white perspectives have dominated views on language in ways that do not address actual linguistic performance, but rather show the feelings that the listener has about linguistically diverse practices. In essence, it highlights how many listeners take a deficit perspective of language that undermines the intelligence of diverse speakers. I’ve learned that linguistic discrimination happens in our communities not because of any linguistic invalidity in the speaker’s practices. Instead it occurs because of the deficit perceiving practices listeners have. As future educators, we must be cognizant of this and acknowledge all of our students’ linguistic identities.

annabellaguarnera — 2024-09-20 20:23:19 UTC

The main points I got from interviewing Milly and Alia were that it was very hard for them to adapt when they first came to this country, but overtime, through a lot of learning and growing, they found their own pace. Raciolinguistic ideologies are visible in both these interviews because both these people who came from different countries felt out of place when they came to America. Linguistics plays apart because both these people had a harder time adapting because they didn't know the language and there was no one there to help them but themselves. Only did they start truly thriving in this country when they learned English. Even after learning the language, these people still face judgment from structuring a sentence wrong or having a accent, which is further proof of linguistic discrimination in my community or the ones around me.

aleahtiwari — 2024-09-21 22:52:14 UTC

* click above to see interview questions

Overall, I learned that my Mom has a lot of experiences regarding language in America versus that in Guyana. She feels that her language changes often because she works in a setting where formal English is normalized. This was similar to Maryum because she also felt her language changing when she was in school versus at home. However the main difference I see between Maryum and my Mom is that my mom came to America when she was much older so she can remember language patterns and tones used in Guyana and pinpoint when they differ. I guess it was that my Mom was more sure of the similarities and differences of American English and Guyanese creole. But Maryum came to America much sooner in her life leaving little for her to remember about Pakistan. Although she was unsure about the differences regarding tone and emotion in language in Pakistan. Her differences were more prevalent considering that it is a completely separate language. Through my mom's stories I learned that people will expect a certain formal speech to be used in certain places in both America and guyana. But she felt that Guyanese close connection with the British empire is why many Guyanese people try to break away from their creole accents and (especially in school or work) use “Standard English”. In Maryum’s interview I felt that she shared a lot about learning what was correct in “America”, many phrases were culturally accepted in Pakistan that were not here. Although she arrived in America young she still learnt many of her mannerisms and speech from her family.

2024-09-23 19:51:10 UTC

i decided to interview both my grandpas. after interviewing them i learned so much about their life before they came to America, and how their life chnaged when they got here. My grandpa on my dads side (tony) he is from Italy. When living in Italy, he would go to school then come home and help take care of the house wih his mother and 4 siblings, while his father and 2 older siblings went to work. My granpda would cause a lot of trouble when he was younger, he strted smoking cigaretes at the age of 12 and would be caught stealing thinga from neighbors or little shops as a way to have things. When he came to America not much changed he still helped at home and stole whatever he could. Until he met my grandma he then learned English and also by working in architect companies in parkchester.

My grandpa on my moms side (Helmut) was born in Germany. He was originally from Bessarabia but after world war 2 it was then apart of poland. My grandpa came here during world war 2 it was very hard for him to get to america. He traveled out of Germany on horses and carragies. Along with this 7 siblings. He ended up loosing his baby brother due to the severe weather conditions they traveled through and considering he was only a few months old. When he came to America, he felt he it was very different. he continued to go to school unlike my other grandpa. As he got older he even started his own company based in Howard Beach and ended up working until late 60s.

I feel all the answers i got from eac grandpa was a little different, but they both felt the same way that learning the primary language in America was not easy. My grandpa tony didnt go to school when he came to America, so he relied more on who he worked with and when he met my grandma. My grandpa helmut had gone back to school and he was uncomfrtable going at first because of his heavy thick accent but when his teacher had learned German for him it was like he saw the potential he could have going to school and learning. I feel both my grandparents feel the same way that most people wouldnt put the effort into learning someone elses language. They dont realize the effect it could have on someone and how it may affect someone in a positive way.

2024-09-23 21:04:44 UTC

Between Shamira and Williah, they both experience different raciolinguistic experiences but both have an understanding and awareness of this certain issue. Shamira did experience some linguistic discrimination but she had difficulty trying to code-switch between both languages growing up. Due to the education system, in school she had to only speak English which took a toll on her losing most of her Spanish. As for Williah’s experience, she faced linguistic discrimination in ways that she was forced by the education system to be put in a program to improve her English regardless of her moms approval or not. As a parent, the school took away and did not care about her moms approval for what she thinks is best for her child. But like Shamira, she had trouble code-switching due to mixing up both languages when communicating.

2024-09-24 23:57:07 UTC

I interviewed both my parents for this Journal. What I learned about my parents’ experiences is that they had English classes in their home country. English is being taught around the world and that shows that it’s seen as an important main language. My mom said that people who knew English more than others were considered to be the popular kids and seen as people who would go very far in life. As for my dad, at a young age he didn’t really see the importance of learning English. Once he got here, he made the effort to learn it and was honestly a little afraid of forgetting his Spanish. However, he managed to keep both and use both very well to communicate with others. My parents had also told me some experiences where there was some discrimination. I also experienced it with them. There are times where both my parents' accents come through and people don’t understand them so they’d get somewhat irritated towards them, not wanting to help. When this happens to my mom, it makes her feel embarrassed of her English, but not my dad. My parents would have my siblings and I say it again for the other person to understand and then they’d help.

2024-09-25 14:22:12 UTC

The main idea that kept resonating throughout my interviews was that when you do not understand others or they do not understand you, it leads to feelings of isolation and awkwardness. Both of the people I interviewed expressed a desire to learn other languages because not being able to learn a language spoken in their homes as youths led them to develop a strong desire to learn another language when they were adults. When someone is trying to communicate with you and you cannot fully understand what they are trying to convey, it can lead to frustration and confusion. The person speaking is often insulted and angry because they feel they are being ignored and the listener is failing to make the effort to understand. I also learned that it is not uncommon for first impressions to make us question a person's intellect when the inability to speak proper English manifests itself. Familiarity with a person and really understanding them leads to linguistics being of little importance. In both situations of my interviewees, parents put the importance of their children's only speaking proper English as being the measure of their future success. The parents felt that their lack of English speaking skills detracted from their ability to be more successful in the world.

2024-09-26 20:03:43 UTC

I learned that my interviewees experience was very different yet similar through different lenses. the feeling of isolation for my sister in class was the same feeling my dad felt in his school because he was new. she felt this way because of where she's from. both my sister and my dad still connect deeply to their afghan roots. The emphasis on Pashto and the desire to maintain cultural ties through language illustrates how language is not merely a means of communication but a core aspect of identity. My dad's strict use of Pashto at home signifies a desire to preserve cultural heritage, while Sofia's bilingual upbringing shows a blend of cultural identities. Their stories call for greater awareness and inclusivity in educational and social institutions. Recognizing and valuing linguistic diversity can help mitigate discrimination and foster a more supportive environment for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

oliviaroedel — 2024-09-26 20:34:12 UTC

The two people that I interviewed for this were my grandpa and my aunt. My grandpa was born and raised in Germany, but moved here in his twenties to get married to my grandma. After interviewing my grandpa, I learned that it was pretty challenging for him to adjust to the American lifestyle. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for my grandpa, as I can imagine moving to a different country, and leaving my family to get married. It was challenging for him knowing no English, then moving to a country where everyone speaks English. I feel that this may be a common issue for many people coming to America, so I feel that it should be our goal to make them feel accepted and welcome coming in to the country, no matter what language they speak. Nobody should be discriminated against because they don't speak "proper English". The second person I interviewed was my aunt. Her story was much different than my grandpa's as there was not much connection between the two. My aunt was born and raised in the United States, in a household that only spoke English. Throughout middle school, high school, and college, my aunt took many Spanish classes. She then became fluent in it, and worked as a Spanish teacher for many years, and then became the head of the foreign language department. Knowing both English and Spanish fluently, makes her life much easier as she is able to communicate with many different people. Because of her job at school but also as the head of the local food pantry, she is constantly switching back and forth between English and Spanish. I feel like many people should try to learn several languages, as it will allow us to communicate with others and accept everyone.

daniellastavin — 2024-09-26 23:03:32 UTC

I chose to interview my grandma and my mom. They were both born and raised in Vinnytsia, Ukraine and came to America knowing little to no english. I learned that both my mom and my grandma had to make big adjustments when coming to America, but in different ways. My mom had to adjust to the new school system and learn things in English, rather than Russian. My grandma faced similar challenges in terms of learning the language, however, she also faced problems with finding a job since she didn’t know english very well. After living here for more than 30 years, both my mom and grandma feel much better about their English, although they still feel self conscious about their accents. Although they didn’t directly describe a story in which they may have been discriminated against for their accents, it is normal to feel singled out or “different” for not speaking English the same way someone who has been born in America. These are definitely some examples of linguistic discrimination that continues to happen in our communities today.

kathrynlabarbera — 2024-09-27 01:22:13 UTC

From interviewing my friend and cousin, I was able to gather information about their experiences with their countries of origin and language. What I learned was how different and complex it can be coming to a different country or being surrounded by those who may speak different languages and come from different customs. Anyone in this position can have their life change so quickly and drastically. They become almost forced to learn from the beginning on how to now live their everyday lives and make a living for themselves. I myself have never experienced this first hand but could imagine just how challenging and difficult this could be. Both people I interviewed had other family members around them to help and guide them when they first learned about their linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

2024-09-27 16:35:09 UTC

For this journal, I decided to interview my mom and sister. My mom was born and raised in China while my sister was born and raised in NYC. It was clear of the differences they both had. My mom had trouble expressing herself when I would ask her questions because she doesn’t speak English very well. Although she has been here for over 20 years she still has trouble and this is why she had a hard time adjusting when she first came. It is vital to speak or at least understand English to get anywhere in the U.S. She also faced a culture shock through the food because of the portion size and what they would eat. On the other hand, my sister grew up learning English and goes to school so she has a chance of getting a better job than my mom ever had the chance to.

jeannevelizmoran — 2024-09-27 16:39:19 UTC

I chose to interview my mom and my boyfriend. My mom was born and raised in the Philippines whereas my boyfriend was born and raised in the US. My boyfriend attends SUNY Old Westbury where the community and environment is very diverse with students of different gender identities and races which means that the school is very open to different languages and opportunities. My mom works in a lab where she works in a diverse environment as well but, there are different opportunities for those who speak a different language. Both my mom and boyfriend are in an environment where those who identify differently, speak differently, or adapt differently have different opportunities whether it's language classes, classes in their comfortable language, interpreters, etc. I notice this is beneficial more so for my mom especially since english isn't her 1st language so she finds it refreshing having filipino coworkers in the lab that she can conversate with or ask questions to

kaileighfitzsimmon — 2024-09-27 17:39:39 UTC

From my interviews with my mom and co-worker, I have learned more about their experiences. My mom, born in the United States, has been primarily exposed to English. Although she has not personally experienced discrimination, she sees that people are judged unfairly based on their cultural backgrounds. Carlos grew up bilingual (Spanish and English) and has personally experienced discrimination. Although Carlos’s bilingualism is a strength and a part of who he is, it exposes him to unfair judgements. These interviews highlight the relationship between language, identity, and discrimination. They reveal how raciolinguistic ideologies can shape individual experiences and community dynamics, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and action to prevent linguistic discrimination. Promoting understanding and appreciation for different languages can help create more inclusive communities.

2024-09-29 01:28:08 UTC

I first interviewed my friend's mom, her first and primary language is Spanish, and she grew up in Dominican Republic. I've known her for most of my life, but we don't really get into conversations like this. I had never known that she had a college degree, the fact that it wasn't able to transfer over here. That degree could have changed a lot of things, maybe she would have a different career, maybe she'd live in a different town. We also talked about the discrimination she has faced due to her language. I remember I had a conversation with her before and she couldn't find the word in English she was looking for, but I never judged her or pitied her. The next person was my friend, who happens to be my first interviewees daughter. This is my closest friend, so we have gotten into conversations about this stuff. There was another story she shared that was not a part of the interview (she gave me permission to share): at dance she was known for having really high jumps, and one time she jumped super high, and a teacher said, "be careful you don't want your weave to fall off". Blatant racism had happened, and no one said anything. I think it is important to note my friend was the only non-white person at this dance studio. I believe ignorance is bliss, therefore the people that are making these judgments are doing it because they haven't been in the position of getting judged.

2024-09-29 16:17:49 UTC

For my journal, I decided to interview my stepmom and my cousin. My stepmom was born in Guyana and she came to America in 2016. Additionally, my cousin was born here, in New York. I decided to interview my stepmom and cousin because I knew that they would have very different experiences with their languages. My cousin expressed that no one has ever made her feel less than for speaking differently and her reasonings for code-switching is mainly for entertainment purposes. She would code-switch from English to Haitian Creole and back to English with her Haitian friends. On the other hand, my stepmom expressed that she has been made to feel less than when she would say a word differently in her accent and would be corrected. However, she stated that she would always stand up for herself. My stepmom's reasoning for code-switching was very different from my cousin's reasoning. My stepmom explained that she would code-switch to her broken English when speaking to her Guyanese friends and family so that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable with this form of "perfect" English, and she would speak with less of an accent when talking to anyone else who wasn't Guyanese so they could understand what she was saying. I feel that this interview highlighted the difference between a person who was born here in the United States and a person who was born in a different country and then migrated to the United States very well. On one side we see an individual who hasn't necessarily had any issues with being viewed as unworthy because of the language she speaks and another individual who has been made fun of in the past for speaking with an accent because she is from a different country.

anniengai — 2024-09-29 21:12:53 UTC

I spoke with my friend Kaylin and my dad. I discovered that their experiences living in the United States have been remarkably similar. My dad spent eighteen years living in China before relocating to the United States. He didn't speak English very well when he first arrived in the country, and as a result, he was bullied by many. This led him to the realization that he wanted to learn English in order to demonstrate to these individuals that he wasn't going to learn nothing at all just because he had not learned the language before coming to this country. Now he is able to speak English well. Because she was raised in the United States and has always been around English, my friend Kaylin is unique. In order for her to communicate with them and other family members when she was at home, her parents continued to teach her how to speak their native tongue. They seem to have gone through comparable experiences with schooling. Both of them experienced discrimination because of their appearance. Youngsters would approach them and tug on their eyes, giving the impression that they were small-eyed. Their accents have also been ridiculed by others. When my dad's accent was made fun of, other kids would just laugh it off. "Go back to your country" was another common thing said to him. To stop this from occurring, we must be more accepting of the various cultures that exist around the world. In addition, we ought to respect others and refrain from making fun of them for their appearance or manner of speaking. It should be accepted that not everyone has the same level of education regardless of their background.

ariannacayo1 — 2024-09-29 21:26:33 UTC

The interview with Marie and Makendy my parents highlights their experiences of multilingualism, cultural identity and linguistic discrimination. Both are fluent in several languages: Marie, my mom speaks English and Haitian Creole, while Makendy my dad speaks English, Haitian Creole, Spanish and French. His use of language is closely linked to his cultural identity, especially his Haitian heritage and, in the case of Makendy, his Dominican origins. Both of them change their code regularly according to them Marie alternates between English and Creole when talking to her mother or daughters, while Makendy switches languages depending on which language he is speaking.Racial and linguistic ideologies emerge from these narratives, particularly through Marie's experience of linguistic discrimination, when people question her use of Haitian Creole, assuming it to be "broken French." This reflects social prejudices that see certain languages or dialects as inferior. These experiences show how linguistic discrimination manifests itself in everyday life, especially for non-dominant language speakers, reinforcing negative stereotypes based on language and race.

2024-09-29 23:43:53 UTC

Journal 5

My Intervew with my mom and dad.

My mom is a reading teacher Who became a reading teacher to Who became a literacy coach and now does both to help both kids and teachers to become better reading teachers and she believes strongly that everyone has their own strengths and skills and should share them with others. She studied at St John's University for her Undergraduate degree Elementary education And Masters in Reading. When my mom was younger she always wanted to become a reading teacher because when she was younger she had a hard time learning to read. Her mom was a Fourth grade teacher. and her mom was the principal.

My dad isn't an iron worker who builds Bridges And airports. He Worked on the famous Brooklyn Bridge in 1995 and then again in 2015 He has also worked at the new Terminal 1 at JFK. Also he volunteered for 4 years as a roller hockey coach to his son's team. He wanted to work as an iron worker because his father and Uncle were armed workers too and because of the action there.

2024-09-30 00:53:36 UTC

Something i learned from my first interview was how all of her high school environment (the kids) came from the same background as her, and they would all interchange their 2 languages when communicating. In my second interview, i learned my best friends favorite cultural traditions and what she likes about her culture. Some raciolinguistic ideologies that they shared was in the first interview when my mom talked about how teachers in her school weren’t all Italian, so they didn’t like the kids speaking it during class. After both interviews, i notice how they inform ways of linguistic discrimination in our communities. 35 years ago when my mom was still in high school, there was moments of discrimination towards kids who spoke other languages besides English. And after the interview with my friend who only finished high school last year, she also mentioned how nothing personally discriminating had happened to her, but she saw it in her school environment, whether it was happening student to student, or teacher to student. So with a 30 ish year window, we are still seeing forms of linguistic discrimination, which is sad because you’d think things would change after so much time. Clearly, this is a super important issue that needs to be focused on more so that real change can start happening.

2024-09-30 01:29:04 UTC

Speaking with my mother and Yehia made me realize that even though they both came from different backgrounds, they feel very similar regarding code-switching. My mother moved here about 11 years ago, and she did not go to school here, so it kind of makes sense that she would rather speak her native tongue to express herself better. But for Yehia, I found code-switching a bit shocking because he did go to school here. Sometimes, when we communicate, he code-switches with me, too. I think it is kind of interesting how so many of us can speak English all day long, but when it comes to holding a deeper conversation, we gravitate to our native languages. Even though I went to high school here, I can see myself code-switching for the same reasons as well. At work, no one has ever really made her feel less than for not being fluent in English, but she still wishes to improve her English because she thinks it would help her communicate better with others.

vincentwong5 — 2024-09-30 01:49:18 UTC

After speaking with my two close friends I was able to discover there is discrimination based on their backgrounds and the way they were speaking. While they described it was not a big issue. I was surprised to learn about the different experiences they had one of my friends, Jeff was discriminated against based on his speech and his Asian characteristics. Both of them said that they have to use code-switch and understand both languages enough. Both have told me the community near where they live isn't really discriminating and especially at school there wasn't able visible discrimination. However, most of the discrimination was outside of the area, and when they visited New York City most of the discrimination was apparent. Mentioning they were making fun of their accent and seen other made fun off.

2024-09-30 04:12:39 UTC

In my interviews, I learned that linguistic discrimination manifests in subtle but impactful ways in professional settings. Both interviewees were judged or excluded based on their accents or dialects, reflecting broader societal biases. These stories highlight how raciolinguistic ideologies shape perceptions of competence and professionalism, often favoring standardized English over other forms of communication. This form of discrimination affects people’s opportunities and self-esteem, creating barriers in both work and social environments.

meagandesimone — 2024-09-30 12:19:09 UTC

I chose to interview my dad and my Nonna. My dad was born in Queens, and my Nonna was born in Sicily, Italy. After talking to both of them, I learned that they had very different experiences. When my Nonna moved to the US, she had a hard time speaking English, whereas my dad, who was born and raised in the US, spoke primarily English. Although my dad can understand Italian fluently and say a few words, he only can speak English fluently. Since my Nonna spoke very little English, the only job she could get when she moved to the US was sewing clothes in a factory. However, my dad owned his own pizzeria because he was born in the US and spoke English. From my Nonna’s experience, I noticed there were raciolingusitic ideologies visible because when she moved to the US, my Nonna felt constantly stared at for mainly speaking Italian. Her experience shows how linguistic discrimination happens in our communities by how many people feel judged and less accepted for speaking a different language. Both interviews inform how linguistic discrimination happens in our communities by also demonstrating how discrimination can lead to limited job opportunities.

2024-09-30 15:31:16 UTC

What I learned throughout my interview is that when you are surrounded by people who dont speak the same language as you it can be hard to fit in or understand. Everyone has their own way of doing things when it comes to following there culture. Each culture has different practices they follow that everyone may not be used to. But I also learned that English has been a standard language and taught everywhere for a very long time now. In other countries it is not like that. This can show that linguistic discrimintion can happen anywhere because if someone is traveling or moved here they may not speak the same language as everyone else and it can make the person who is not the same as everyone else upset or feel left out. In our communties we are seeing this more and more because english has been the standard language for many years now and when students of a new background come in they are automaticlly forced to keep up with standardized English which can stop them from exploring there own culture and connecting with other people around them.

2024-09-30 21:59:59 UTC

I learned that each family has different languages they speak and traditions they follow. My friend that I interviewed main food source is tomato sauce. She is Italian and my Grandma's main food source was potatoes because her family was Irish. When I started to talk to these different people, I realized many differences they have in culture and the language struggles they could have faced. These kinds of raciolinguistic ideologies surround themselves with English as the main language over other languages since a majority of Americans speak English. What I did realize is that although the people I interviewed do not speak much of their language outside of their home, they do enjoy speaking it and sharing their traditions within themselves at home with their own family. They connect and form ways of racial discrimination by seeing how, although Italian is one of the more common languages in America, it was still difficult at times to keep up with her Nonna speaking it because she was only taught English since she was born in America and left all her relatives in Italy. We also see how my Grandma felt different based on the way she spoke from living in the Bronx and how people would look at her strangely with her speech. We as a society need to do more to normalize people of other languages' speech and make them feel welcome to use their native language in public without feeling judged.

2024-10-01 22:42:00 UTC

The interviews revealed numerous differences as well as a few similarities between my friend's and my mom's New York experiences. When my mother migrated to Queens, New York in 1993, she struggled to make her way about since she didn't know the language or how anything operated. She was forced to take up small scale employment, learn the language, and manage things like being ill on her own. My friend, on the other hand, had a more structured childhood in New York City, including school, extracurriculars, and supportive family members. Despite having quite different circumstances, they both discussed how hectic and often exhausting city life can be.

2024-10-01 23:10:36 UTC

Throughout my two interviews, I was able to learn that linguistic discrimination is prominent amongst individuals more than it may seem. It seems to be due to the various language barriers or not having common backgrounds. I realized that various people maintain differences that played a role in struggles and cruel acts that may have been faced. I realized that various individuals rather speak the language they are comfortable with sharing traditions and connections in there own comfort setting. My father said that he does not neccesarily feel discriminated against due to the fact that he is an immigrant and English is his second language. However, he says it is a prominent instance with other individuals who face these struggles and forms of prejudice every day.

2024-10-02 01:45:06 UTC

In reflecting on the interviews I conducted, I learned a lot about the experiences of my interviewees, especially regarding how language and culture shaped their lives. My mom’s experience highlighted the challenges she faced while balancing responsibilities in Bangladesh and using traditional remedies when healthcare was not easily accessible. On the other hand, my friend, being a student in New York, talked about the pressure of balancing work, school, and personal life, yet having access to resources like student insurance and the campus health center.

In both stories, raciolinguistic ideologies were subtly present. For example, my mom didn’t rely on modern healthcare because of the financial and cultural limitations in our community. This shows how, in some cases, local languages and cultural norms can restrict access to certain opportunities, like proper healthcare. For my friend, there was the underlying pressure to adapt to a new language and culture in New York, while also balancing their identity as a Bangladeshi student. This speaks to the expectation that immigrants or international students need to "fit in" by adopting the dominant language and cultural practices.

These experiences show how linguistic discrimination can occur subtly in our communities. In my mom’s case, there was a lack of access to certain services because people who spoke Bangla were often marginalized in terms of healthcare and resources. For my friend, it was about adapting to a new environment where the expectation was to prioritize English, even though Bangla was their first language. These examples connect to broader patterns of linguistic discrimination, where people are often judged or limited based on their language, culture, or how they communicate.

allenkhaimov — 2024-10-02 01:46:23 UTC

For my journal I interviewed my mom and one of my close friends. My mom came to the states in the early 1990s when she and the rest of my family immigrated from russia. My friend was born in America but also comes from a Russian immigrant family and he is 18 years old. I found that within both of these interviews that the home/main language is Russian, and did not switch to english or assimilating into a modern American life/household. Even though my mom and the rest of my family have been here for over 30 years, she still communicates comfortably, whether it is english or Russian, and she doesn't feel like anything less for speaking another language. Both interviewers' families hold on to their customs as it has strong value to them.

2024-10-02 03:31:53 UTC

What I learned from my interviewers was that even though someone can be bilingual or multilingual doesn't mean they will always have the same story. When it came to my friend jeruseth she didn't experience too much of that one to one discrimination. Yes she still received something but not everyone's side will be the same. When it came to my boyfriend he had to handle more and was put in a little more situations that most people would think he was in. Their cultures are still very close to each one of them and make them who they are. Although I'm not Colombian or ecuadorian like my boyfriend the same type of respect and like honor is given to parents and grandparents. Of always being grateful. Or also when it comes to my friend and her love for the love of parties its slightly similar to my culture and we were both raised and grew up in different types of culture.

mikaylabadnow — 2024-10-02 05:21:48 UTC

For this journal, I decided to interview my dad and my classmate Peter. I found that both of my interviewees were from a very similar area and lived one town over from another. Although neither of them experienced discrimination they both felt very deeply for those who have and are aware of their privilege as cisgender white males. While my dad does not know any other language besides English, Peter took Italian in 7th grade and is currently continuing it into his 3rd year of college. Even outside of the interview he translanguages by incorporating elements of the Italian language into his everyday language repertoire. Unfortunately, I did not have access to any of my multilingual friends during the period in which I was conducting the interviews. However, I definitely would be interested in asking them the same questions and getting their feedback to see the difference. My interviewees were very eager to answer these questions and both also sat down with me and compared/contrasted their own experiences to the other students' interviews.

emilycappitelli — 2024-10-02 16:17:23 UTC

Throughout the two interviews, I learned how much diversity comes into play when it comes to different families. As someone who did only grow up with English, my mom was able to teach me ASL because of her job which was very useful for me as a toddler because I could not speak more than 5 words so that was very helpful. Also, my mom developed some language of the language, her friends referred to it as Creo but we are not sure of the actual name of the language and now to this day she can not speak the language but she can hear it and understand what people are saying so that was really helpful to her and gave her a easier way to develop into her job, not only as an individual, but also as a culture sense. My friend Francesca learning about her family and how her family background helped her and the challenges she faced with because a multi-lingual student was very interesting. also, to learn about her culture and the different things she does like on Sundays she has pasta sauce with her family and every time in late august she comes together with her family to make sauce is extremely cool. I never really how diverse each and every family is. Francesca had to go to school and have the pressure to be perfect in her Italian classes because she grew up in such an Italian home so she did not make the pressure on herself, more of the teachers did because of how she looks. I hate that people judge a book by its cover but it helps her in the long run and to communicate to her family in a different way. Now, her family does have different dialects so her having to learn the dialects to communicate with her family was a struggle for her but not impossible. Being Italian myself and going over to her house to hear more about the culture is really cool to see. As a society, we have to normalize being from other places and not to put so much pressure on someone who is learning, but also as someone who is here and make them feel more comfortable.

2024-10-02 18:20:31 UTC

I feel that through my interviews I have learned that both English and non-english/bilingual speakers may be discriminated against although it may not seem like it there are many stereotypes for your typical "white frat guy", or "basic white girl". We should see that as a community we all face issues within our lives wether they are similar or not we should come together to celebrate ou differences and embrace them. We can learn a lot from others and their cultures which can help to expand our perspectives and horizons going forward in our lives and help work against these stereotypes. Through these new perspectives we can see that we are all not that different just because someone may speak a different language does not make them any less smart. We can also embrace these perspectives to allow ourselves to view multilingual people as resilient people who have to focus on translating every word in their head before actually speaking and show some praise towards them as monolingual speakers do not understand this hardship. As a conclusion the world would be a better place if we started to recognize our differences as good things rather than bad.

2024-10-02 18:33:35 UTC

Throughout my two interviews, I learned that diversity is not as appreciated as I expected. I chose to interview my coworker that speaks Spanish as his first language. He had to learn English on his own when he came to America and while he has a positive attitude toward his experience, it is evident that much discrimination has crossed his path. My mother also came here from a different country and had to learn English on her own. It is interesting to see the "proper English" stereotype in action. I didn't notice that I correct my mom's pronunciation but now that I've spent some time in this class I understand that there is no right way to speak.

2024-10-02 21:56:15 UTC

When I interviewed my family, I noticed that school has always been this way, by forcing students to speak English and follow the curriculum in English. My mom came to the US when she was 12, she expressed how hard it was to fit in when she was the only one who didn't speak English. Later on, more Hispanic kids came to the school. She learned English by forcing herself to watch her favorite cartoons in English and reading books. My mom, even though she grew up in the US, still has an accent and doesn't feel like she can express her language at work because everyone else speaks English. My brother who is now 10 says that he does hear Spanish between the Hispanic kids in his class but doesn't feel like he should speak Spanish with them and keeps speaking English because he knows it best. My family’s experiences connect to why being aware and not banning languages besides English in the classroom will help students not be afraid to speak their culture. I learned that language is a big part of who a person is and that we shouldn't discriminate against people for it.

2024-10-03 22:27:01 UTC

When I interviewed both of my parents, I realized how mean people can be to you when you don’t speak English. People would shout slurs at my mom when she didn’t know English and would bully my father for not being a “white male”. This really put society into perspective for me. I realize that discrimination and language prejudice is a real problem, still today. I also made the observation that schools put into the minds of students that English is the only acceptable language. This causes kids to grow up thinking that every other language is wrong and should be “fixed”. This judgement makes others who speak different languages feel like they are doing something wrong or feel excluded from society. Hearing what my parents had to go through just for being different breaks my heart and helps me to notice that this kind of discrimination happens more than people think. It is important for society and schools to shift the focus from blaming the students and making them fix their language, to teaching kids at school from a young age that speaking any language or dialect you grew up with is okay and to encourage the other students in the class to learn from each other and to make sure each person is acknowledged and noticed rather than treated differently. In the ends we are all human, just from different backgrounds. It is crucial for us to treat others the way we would want to be treated in life and show people that every ethnicity is wanted and seen.

2024-10-04 19:07:59 UTC

Throughout my two interviews, I learned that the people I interviewed had very positive experiences with culture and take a lot of pride in their culture. Although the people I interviewed did not face any discrimination people in their family have. Both people I interviewed talked about how their loved ones were discriminated against because of their culture. My great grandma was discriminated against because she could not speak English after coming to America, my great grandmother faced linguistics discrimination. Although my great grandma faced linguistics discrimination she still took pride in her culture. My great grandma made sure my Dad was also proud to be Czechoslovakia and my Dad passed this on to me and my siblings. We take pride in our culture and still celebrate even after the discrimination my great grandma faced.

madeleinedougherty — 2024-10-05 17:30:17 UTC

I realized from talking to my mom that things have always been easy for her because she grew up in America speaking english in a predominantly white area, much like me. We discussed how the education system has always been easier for white people who speak english fluently, and always catered against pretty much anything non white.

I also interviewed this very sweet girl named Arpita who I work with. She arrived to NYC from Pakistan about 2 years ago and she has experienced a lot of meanness from people and negativity just because of her accent or how she looks when she has tried to make friends. Because of this she naturally gravitates towards other Pakistani people to make friends with. This made me very sad to hear because all she wanted was to make friends in the exciting new country she arrived in only to get the idea that no one wanted to be friends with her.

valentinagenovese1 — 2024-10-06 21:55:59 UTC

A few things that I learned about the interviewees that I interviewed and their experience is that we should never judge people if we do not really know them or their background. They grew up in a completely different environment so personally I do not know what it is like to be discriminated, but I do know that we are all human and feel the same feelings. We are all smart and know of the same knowledge, only in different linguistic abilities. My mom and dad are both incredibly intelligent and continue to teach me more and more everyday about relevant information and their culture as well. They got to where they are today and are happy, which is all they need. They have good jobs where they hold special roles. Their languages also give them that advantage I can see, whether they didn't state it verbally, I can see how it has impacted their roles in society.

lioraharyeh — 2024-10-07 01:12:06 UTC

I decided to interview both my parents since they both immigrated here from Iran each on thier own (they didn’t come together). First off something this reminded of is that I am so lucky and grateful to have parents like mine who left everything behind to start a better life as difficult as it was. People are discriminated all the time because of their linguistic diversity. Now my parents both speak english very well but hearing some of these stories were hard for me to hear because I was raised to give everyone a chance and not to take advantage of others. My Dad didn’t have family here only one brother who went back to Austria after a month (this was where they went to get visas. I learned that we need to proiritize being linguistically diverse and open to those who don’t speak good english. To this day Im proud to say Ive learned a lot from my family and I plan to continue their story for future generations because in those days they weren’t open minded about those who don’t speak the standard language.

2024-10-07 01:38:33 UTC

Through my conversations with my Afghan-American friend and my mom, who is a Pakistani immigrant, I've learned a lot about their experiences with language and identity. When he speaks, people sometimes question his "American-ness," which reflects the idea that there’s a specific way to sound to be considered truly American.

My mom has shared her own challenges, navigating a society that frequently judges non-native speakers. I’ve seen how her English proficiency is scrutinized, leading to unfair assumptions about her capabilities. These experiences really highlight the standard language bias that exists, where certain ways of speaking are valued over others, reinforcing stereotypes and creating barriers.

Together, their stories illustrate how deeply rooted raciolinguistic ideologies can foster linguistic discrimination in our communities.

2024-10-07 17:16:33 UTC

I have decided to interview both of my parents because they both came from the same country and immigrated to the States. My mom immigrated from the Philippines to New York while my dad immigrated also from the Philippines to San Jose, California. They both has their struggles working jobs to sustain a life here and they both always valued education—their situations were much harder to balance both unfortunately. My mom and my dad shared common values and beliefs and also shared priories that they had to focus on when moving here and although the language barrier wasn’t more so a problem for them since they knew English. The problem was mostly their status of being labeled as an immigrant.

2024-10-08 16:26:57 UTC

Linguistic discrimination can make people feel left out or have trouble finding jobs because of their accents or how they speak. My mom came to America excited but overwhelmed, and she managed by learning English and looking for work, one day at a time. My friend, who speaks Russian at home, says this makes their family feel closer, but sometimes they feel out of place outside their home. Meeting other Russians at community events helps them feel connected.

2024-10-08 18:19:18 UTC

Based on my interviews with my dad and my friend show that my dad, who was raised to speak Sicilian, had difficulty in school. Whereas my friend, who was raised to speak English, didn't struggle.

2024-10-08 19:08:58 UTC

For my interviews, I interviewed two of my cousins who I new had experience with two languages and cultures. I learned that they both had similar experiences in other countries where they were able to switch between English and another language. I learned that they were both accepted into the different cultures without any discrimination and they the diverse people around them were happy to share and teach about their language practices. After these interviews I am now more interested in becoming as fluent as I can in another language. I notice that being able to communicate with all groups of people will help you make new connections and enjoy other cultures even more.

2024-10-08 21:50:13 UTC

Through my brother and friend, I got to know how different life can be as one comes from a diverse cultural and linguistic background. Many times, they have to face stereotypical behaviors and struggles of proving themselves due to their accents. This also helps them in teaching other people about our culture through which the misunderstanding decreases and a more inclusive environment is built at work and among communities. Their stories bring out the issues and the strategies they use to deal with a world that often prejudges them by the way they speak. The insight into their lives through this work, therefore, draws attention to a very important respect for and learning from linguistic and cultural diversity.

roryduggan — 2024-10-09 17:27:22 UTC

After interviewing two close people in my life, I learned that they both had similar experiences outside of the family and liked to play video games. They also had lot of difference in their cultures because both parents were from different parts of the world. I notice how they both communicate and celebrate things differently then one another because of the different religions and cultural backgrounds. It was very interesting interviewing the both to see if they did the same things but had lots of differences as well.

2024-10-09 17:48:52 UTC

2024-10-14 17:00:15 UTC

Both my brother and my mom shared experiences of linguistic discrimination in our community. My brother mentioned feeling pressure to change how he speaks at work, and my mom shared that she felt judged for her accent, especially when she first moved here. Both interviews revealed that people often make assumptions based on accents, associating certain ways of speaking with intelligence or professionalism. They both suggested that increased awareness and education could help reduce discrimination, emphasizing the importance of promoting linguistic diversity and acceptance in schools, workplaces, and the broader community.

hadassaambroise — 2024-10-16 01:55:14 UTC

In the interviews that I did with my mom and little sisters I learned a lot especially from my mom's. From my mom's interview I learned that she was limited in a way to do what she truly wanted to do due to sacrificing it for my siblings and I. I also found it interesting how much different her morning routine was verses my sister's. It really stood out to me how much things that my mom had to get done not only as a student but as a child in a way it made me realize how differently my siblings and I were raised. My mom explained to me that was just how they were raised each sibling had a day to do different chores in a sense in a sense it taught them responsibility and discipline. Versus when I did my sisters interview she still wakes up pretty early but she is not expected to do chores if anything my mom expects her to get up and get to school on time and safely. It made me realize how much culture could have impacted the way my mom raised my siblings and I my mom tried her hardest to immerse us in our culture but tried to remove the rigid confines that she was brought up with. I remember my mom telling me how when she moved to New York her mom told her she HAD to speak English even though my mom was not very fond of the language she was forced to assimilate to a culture not only she was not familiar to but was not really a huge fan of but she looks back at those days and says how much she does not regret moving to New York because she was able to give my siblings and I opportunities even though she had to sacrifice a lot of things. When she told me her experience especially with my grandma it made me realize how much older generations uphold raciolingustic ideologies and in a way transfer that to their own children it makes you realize how ingrained these ideologies are in other cultures. Luckily my mom did not transfer these ideologies towards my siblings and I and I think the way my mom immersed my childhood with indulgent foods from her country and colorful music.

2024-10-29 17:22:10 UTC

For my interviews I decided to interview my friend and my sister. Their responsibilities and work are very different since my friend is a college student and my sister graduated college many years ago and is now a vet technician. I learned that both interviewees' find their lives to be busy even though they both live very different lives. I learned that both use the English language to communicate with others throughout their day especially my sister who is required to speak to the owner's of her patients and discuss certain things. Sometimes, my sister speaks polish depending on what the owner understands the best and this shows power of multilingualism and the power of being able to switch between languages. The interviews connect of inform ways linguistic discrimination happens in our communities because they discussed how code-switching can create a lot of stress and discomfort.

2024-11-09 23:53:52 UTC

2024-11-19 17:34:44 UTC

Through my interviews, I learned that my grandmother’s experience learning English reflects her effort to adapt to life in an English-speaking environment, while my sister’s journey with Hebrew highlights her connection to family and heritage. My grandmother’s challenges demonstrate the dominance of English in the U.S., where non-native speakers may face barriers despite their resilience. Similarly, my sister’s bilingual education underscores how heritage languages like Hebrew can hold cultural significance but are often less valued outside specific communities, revealing broader societal biases in language hierarchies.