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My heart was beating and my hands were sweating. My teacher asked me a question and I wanted to cry. I didn’t know how to say my response in English and was afraid of the other kids making fun of me because I thought my accent was too strong. All the students stared. “Just answer the question” one girl murmured. Every day I’d sit in the same seat without talking. And even though I had spent a month in the same classroom I felt uncomfortable being there. I moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic when I was twelve. I knew the word for “mariposa” was “butterfly,” and I knew how to introduce myself, but that was about all. Some people would even become frustrated due to the fact they couldn’t understand me, or the other way around. Knowing how they felt about me not being able to communicate made me want to shut myself off from them. Sitting there in the classroom not being able to say a word made me think of someone who will always stay with me, a deaf woman in the Dominican Republic who used to braid my hair all day on her porch and communicated just by pointing at objects. She didn’t know any sign language. Thinking back, I was the vivid image of her when I moved to the United States. My struggle to communicate in English made me realize how important it is for people to express themselves and how tough it was for her, and people …show more content…
After we grew tired of playing, we went inside of the plastic castle and gathered in a circle small circle. We met a new friend, we started to play together without even noticing. All and all, we didn’t know her name “¿Como tu te llama’?” she stood up and jog out of the castle. A kid we didn’t know any better and started to laugh and calling her names. When she came back with her mother, I instantly felt terrible for judging her right away. Seeing her mother moving her hands around and talking at the same time amazed
Padden, Carol and Humphries, Tom (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
“It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib at the close of that eventful day and lived over the joys it had brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come. I had now the key to all language, and I was eager to learn to use it” (Keller 146). The ability to actually comprehend words and associate those words to thoughts and feelings rejuvenated her. Keller was reborn that day, with a new ‘vision’ and a new direction. What started that day, culminated into Keller becoming the first deaf person to earn a bachelors degree. She learnt to speak and ‘hear’ by following the movements of people’s lips. Keller was extremely hardworking and she personified willpower and diligence by patiently untangling the taboos of society to prove her critics wrong.
Notwithstanding it was my first day at the school, I felt rarely. My aunt took me to my first hour because I was lost. This school is the double of my school in Guatemala, I remember the first teacher that I met her name is Ms. Brunelle. When I was there I heard that the whole guys in that class were talking in Spanish something that make feel do comfortably. Then the teacher told me where my chair was then I took a seat. Someone who was next to me asked me, de que parte de Mexico eres? I was like confused because I’m not from Mexico. I replied, no soy de México soy de Guatemala. He laughs and told me, pero si tienes el nopal en la frente, something that I didn’t understand at that moment. Later on that day, the same guy heard
Two centuries ago, the Deaf community arose in American society as a linguistic minority. Members of this community share a particular human condition, hearing impairment. However, the use of American Sign Language, as their main means of communicating, and attendance to a residential school for people with deafness also determine their entry to this micro-culture. Despite the fact that Deaf activists argue that their community is essentially an ethnic group, Deaf culture is certainly different from any other cultures in the United States. Deaf-Americans cannot trace their ancestry back to a specific country, nor do Deaf neighborhoods exist predominantly throughout the nation. Additionally, more than ninety percent of deaf persons are born from hearing parents (Singleton and Tittle 222). Consequently, they often feel isolated from their families, as they do not even share the same language. Non-hearing children born into hearing families are more likely to attend a regular public school with typical peers, causing them to have little contact with other members from the Deaf community. Therefore, this community embraces a diverse group of individuals, who are surprisingly different from the rest of the members of their own families. This situation causes a cross-cultural conflict, which others believe needs fixing. Nevertheless, society should not perceive the Deaf community as a disability group but as a discrete linguistic minority, rich in history, values, and traditions.
The documentary of “Through Deaf Eyes” has open my eyes to the deaf culture. The movie has made it “click” that deaf people are just that people and individuals like me. Deaf community has its struggles just like everyone else. They struggle with growing into who they are as a person, harmful situations, and feeling a sense of belonging. They just speak a different language like Italians and Hispanics. Communicating with a different language does not make them lesser than a hearing person. When able to learn to communicate, the deaf are able to learn and gain knowledge just like a hearing person. The only difference is they have to learn more and work harder to achieve their goals and gain knowledge, which a hearing person learns just by hearing their surroundings.
The first time Kingston had to speak English in kindergarten was the moment silence infiltrated her world. Simple dialogue such as “hello” or asking for directions was hell for her because people usually couldn’t hear her the first time she asked, and her voice became weaker every time she tried to repeat the question (422). No matter what, speaking English just shattered her self-esteem.
As we arrived, my stomach started to turn inside out, and I wasn’t sure why, but I knew when that happens I turn into a nervous wreck. They sat me in the hallway as they chattered about me I was assuming. On our bumpy car ride home, my parents stopped through an ice cream shop, knowing that’s a way to cheer their little boy. They sat me down and told me about how the teacher is concerned with my low-level reading and writing skills. It bothered me very much, that the teacher had never said anything to me one on one. My parents told me that I might be held back, and to stay positive and don’t let this bring you down. This caused so much confusion and discouragement for a seven year old boy. I was still in discomfort after the day reading because of how the kids laughed when I read my
...nger needed. I was excited, but very nervous. Northern Voices only had about 5 students in each classroom and Rice Lake had about 27. It was so noisy! I saw kids chattering, but was so shy to meet them. The kids were welcoming and I quickly made friends through talking. This moment I felt that talking is now part of me as it is ingrained into my soul. Signing has left my soul. Growing up with hearing students for the past 12 years, I no longer feel that I am part of the deaf community, but part of the hearing community. My true self blossomed. The difference between body and self
People tend to take their legs for granted. While the other girls in my school were fawning over the football players’ muscles, or their perfect hair, I was jealous of their legs. Their functional legs. It's pretty crazy to think of a 15-year-old learning how to walk, but that’s exactly where I was. In a gym full of colorful mats and loud children, all I could focus on was the heavy Polish accent of my physical therapist urging me to trust myself. I took three whole steps. I started to get over confident, thinking that I could walk way more than someone who had a three-year gap in their walking practice should. I took four more steps. I looked up at my therapist for reassurance and a slight nod of her head encouraged me to keep going. Left.
I agree that I am an auditory and visual learner. I learn best hearing and seeing things for myself. I have been an auditory learner since I was young, for instance, when I was young all my mom had to do was make whatever she wanted me to learn into a song, and I would have it mesmerized in a day. Also, I am a visual learner because I have always enjoyed in class lessons vs. online courses. I believe I lean towards these learning styles due to how I was taught growing up. I was homeschooled my whole life leading up to college and due to the fact that my mom relied online programs, that are verbal by nature, as well as herself, I believed this greatly influence the learning style I have.
I remember the time when I was most hurt, I was roughly nine years old. My mom was in pain from appendicitis but at the time she thought it was just a stomach virus or just a pain that would go away in a few days.Me and my brothers had to cook for each meal and we would put a plate full of food for her, but she never had an appetite to eat anything due to the pain.I just remember seeing my mom in the bed in a fetal position and that would make me and my brothers upset.When it's night time we all got ready to bed for school tomorrow we had to get early so we won't put any stress to my mom.When I got to school next morning all would think about is what's happening right now as am in school. Time pass so slow and I feel very concerned, I couldn't
For this informational brochure or pamphlet the type of audience I will appeal to is neutral and the appeals I will use is logs. I plan to possibly use statistical charts, cartoon comics, and pictures to make this brochure or pamphlet interesting. The main goal of my brochure or pamphlet is to bring awareness to some of the medical benefits of cannabis. I will do this by mentioning some disorders and diseases that cannabis has been proven effective in treating. Another goal is to prove how much cannabis has an impact on those with certain disorders. I plan to do this by incorporating testimonials from those who has used cannabis to help themselves or even a loved one. Lastly, it is my goal to prove that cannabis can me more helpful, than harmful
My goals were to eat better, and by better, I meant three times a day and sleep more because I was not getting a full night’s rest. I choose these goals because they supported my goal to lose weight. My mom always told me that you should eat regular and have sleep to lose weight. I was afraid to say lose weight because I think it is embarrassing and since I am very aware of my weight. This topic has been heavy on my mind for some time now, I have always had low confident in myself and since my sister has a small curving figure that I am jealous of.
A significant risk that I took was wearing a shirt to school that read : BLACK LIVES MATTER to school on my 17th birthday.The shirt was a gift from a friend who knew that I was deeply interested in the movement; and wanted to share awareness of the movement. I would talk about the movement in class making people aware of what was not being covered by the news. Informing how biased the media is towards people of color; especially black people. Going to a school in the suburbs was an adjustment to someone who has spent majority of their school career in urban areas. I felt as if the idea of wearing a shirt to express my concern towards issues in my community would be accepted. That was the idea.
I attended this forum on Tuesday, January 24, in the special collections library right behind Morris Hall. There were around 20 people total in the discussion, and we had a very balanced, spirited debate. I throughly enjoyed this event because it allowed me to learn a lot about events and ideas that are very important in this time, and it allowed me to hear and learn about a lot of different view points and opinions these controversial ideas. I believe that part of the beauty of UGA is in its diversity, and that ability to have such a diverse mix of people really added to our debate and the experience in general. I believe that the ability to have such a civil and lively conversation is something that will be crucial in mending this split country.