Code Switching In African Americans

Code-switching is the idea of an individual alternating between two or more languages in conversation. For many instances, African-American individuals tend to ‘code-switch- around their white counterparts in order to assert their intelligence. Due to rampant systemic racism, racialized media portrayals, and other platforms that affect African-Americans, many African-Americans feel required to code switch because they do not want to appear ignorant or intelligent. For many black individuals, they speak with slang and verbiage that is common within their communities, but as they to enter white spaces, they will oftentimes code switch. As an adolescent, I never realized that there was a word for code-switching. I performed it so much that I

Once I moved to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, I code-switched every moment I came in contact with a white individual. I would not say the words “What’s up,” instead I would use the words “Hello, how are you?” I altered my speech whenever I came in contact with an white individual because I did not to be deemed as the “dumb black boy.” In many of my classes I would be the only black student, so I had to code switch tremendously in order to exemplify my intelligence by my white counterparts. I code switch at school, in public places where there are many white individuals, during job interviews, during speeches, during class discussions, etc. I code-switch because I am presenting myself to the world. First impression is vital and I wish to have a positive impression of people, especially white individuals. By code-switching, I become viewed as articulate, intelligent, and mannered. If I did not code-switch, society would deem me as illiterate and ignorant. For the sake my image and portrayal in society, I must code switch in order to further my success in life. As a child, my mother would code-switch but I never paid any attention to it. I always was assumed by her swift alteration of