American Sign Language (ASL) as Genocide in the Deaf World
This is in response to Minna’s questions asking if ASL is our own genocide in the Deaf Community- specifically in third world countries. (See: ASL and 3rd World at www.frontrunners-minna.blogspot.com) Minna is right… ASL can be found in many places around the world. Although the language has been intensively studied and documented and is revered as one of the identifying factors of our Deaf Culture, it has spread outside the good ol’ USA. Why is this? Why is ASL used in many other countries? Is this in fact the genocide of sign languages?
In reference to Africa and other third-world countries that are using ASL today, I don’t think that language genocide is the easy answer to the question why ASL is being used there. The spread of ASL in these countries should be viewed more like natural language development and creolizing.
Andrew Foster, the first Black man to graduate from Gallaudet University, founded 13 Deaf Schools in Africa in the 1900s. Although many of these countries were former British and French colonies, Foster used ASL in his instruction and implementation of Deaf Education. This is viewed as negative by some and may also be viewed as language genocide. However, there are so many factors that need to be considered before declaring it to be genocide. First, these African countries did have their own indigenous sign languages but they were not documented and many hearing educators were not involved in the Deaf Community so they did not know sign language. Foster taught a “crash-course” in ASL vocabulary to many hearing teachers, perhaps because it was convenient and because the native sign languages had not yet been documented. Today, there is a resurgence in the research and protection of many native sign languages in Africa. Before Foster arrived, these African countries may have been using French or British sign languages- should that also be considered genocide? The exactly same thing happened to ASL in the 1800s. ASL was “born” as a creole of Clerc’s sign language from France (which followed the spoken grammar), indigenous sign languages that was already present in America and home signs that had developed. Contact languages that are passed down across generations undergo structural expansion called creolizing. This is a natural process of language development where vocabulary and grammar are borrowed from different languages to form its own. This has happened in many places with both spoken and sign languages, as well as sign languages other than ASL. New Zealand and Australia use a form of British Sign Language. Many European sign languages have borrowed from French Sign Language because L’Epee, a French priest, founded many Deaf schools across Europe in the 1700-1800s.
Of course, it is different nowadays- if someone goes to a different country and forces ASL upon the Deaf Community, that should be considered as genocide. But there are also other factors to consider in today‘s society. The world has become “smaller” through technology (especially the internet) and the English language (particularly American English) has spread rapidly throughout the world. Through globalization, English has become the “language of the world” and many corporations and agencies know that in order to succeed in the business/marketing world, they need to know English. It is natural for the sign language most associated with American English to become the “international sign language” of the world, which happens to be ASL. People associate ASL with English because it is used in the USA, and because of the numerous attempts throughout history to combine the two languages through manual English, SEE, etc. Should we call this the genocide of the Deaf Community? Should we blame English as genocide in the general world of languages? Because as long as English dominates the world, so will ASL in the Deaf Community.
In reference to Africa and other third-world countries that are using ASL today, I don’t think that language genocide is the easy answer to the question why ASL is being used there. The spread of ASL in these countries should be viewed more like natural language development and creolizing.
Andrew Foster, the first Black man to graduate from Gallaudet University, founded 13 Deaf Schools in Africa in the 1900s. Although many of these countries were former British and French colonies, Foster used ASL in his instruction and implementation of Deaf Education. This is viewed as negative by some and may also be viewed as language genocide. However, there are so many factors that need to be considered before declaring it to be genocide. First, these African countries did have their own indigenous sign languages but they were not documented and many hearing educators were not involved in the Deaf Community so they did not know sign language. Foster taught a “crash-course” in ASL vocabulary to many hearing teachers, perhaps because it was convenient and because the native sign languages had not yet been documented. Today, there is a resurgence in the research and protection of many native sign languages in Africa. Before Foster arrived, these African countries may have been using French or British sign languages- should that also be considered genocide? The exactly same thing happened to ASL in the 1800s. ASL was “born” as a creole of Clerc’s sign language from France (which followed the spoken grammar), indigenous sign languages that was already present in America and home signs that had developed. Contact languages that are passed down across generations undergo structural expansion called creolizing. This is a natural process of language development where vocabulary and grammar are borrowed from different languages to form its own. This has happened in many places with both spoken and sign languages, as well as sign languages other than ASL. New Zealand and Australia use a form of British Sign Language. Many European sign languages have borrowed from French Sign Language because L’Epee, a French priest, founded many Deaf schools across Europe in the 1700-1800s.
Of course, it is different nowadays- if someone goes to a different country and forces ASL upon the Deaf Community, that should be considered as genocide. But there are also other factors to consider in today‘s society. The world has become “smaller” through technology (especially the internet) and the English language (particularly American English) has spread rapidly throughout the world. Through globalization, English has become the “language of the world” and many corporations and agencies know that in order to succeed in the business/marketing world, they need to know English. It is natural for the sign language most associated with American English to become the “international sign language” of the world, which happens to be ASL. People associate ASL with English because it is used in the USA, and because of the numerous attempts throughout history to combine the two languages through manual English, SEE, etc. Should we call this the genocide of the Deaf Community? Should we blame English as genocide in the general world of languages? Because as long as English dominates the world, so will ASL in the Deaf Community.
NOTE: It is unfortunate that so many native sign languages have not been recognized and protected. Here, I am not dismissing this occurrence or its disastrous results. Rather, I am focusing on the concept "language genocide" as associated with ASL usage throughout the world.
posted by Sarah! at
5:26 AM
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