RES 5530: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Spring 2009)

For at least 200 years, Americans have been forging a linguistic identity of their own. Once the United States gained its independence from Great Britain, the citizenry sought to forge a new national identity. It is no wonder that one of the primary means of accomplishing this was through their language. Noah Webster's “American English” dictionary in the 1800s, with its more simplistic spelling methods and new vocabulary, created a new form of the English language that is still used in the United States today. This movement by the American public shows the how a group's “language of intimacy” (Delpit, 12) can reflect the cultural identity of that group.

Even within the United States, itself, various regions have dialects that are unique—each one subconsciously being judged by its listener. For example, if a movie director wants a character that seems ignorant, he will cast someone who has the thickest southern accent imaginable, and put him in West Virginia. If he wants a female that is just “dumb,” he will cast her with blond hair, and give her a “valley girl” accent. These examples could go on all day. However, the point is, like the essayists point out in the book, humans are constantly being judged by their language.

Unlike Joanne Dowdy, I did not have a parent who told me that I should lose my thick southern accent if I wanted to succeed. I was very successful throughout school—blindly unaware of how many in the country judge those with my dialect. It was not until I went to college at North Carolina State where I learned that “survival techniques involve double realities (11).” Now, I realize that N.C. State is still in the South, but Raleigh is a large city with a salad bowl mixture of people. As I began my courses, I realized that students and professors were trying their very best to transform their southern accents into more mainstream English—especially for presentations or meetings with colleagues. It was like the language that I associated with my home and childhood would not “work” in the real world. What ultimately led me to rethink my usage of language was one night at dinner. Without even thinking, I ordered the salmon (clearly pronouncing the “l” like everyone else in my hometown). After being made fun of, I immediately learned the art of code switching. Ironically, I am engaged to a man originally from upstate New York. This has made each of us more aware than ever of our dialects, and how others judge them. It is because of my experiences, that I feel a kinship with Ms. Dowdy.

I thought that it was interesting that in Trinidad, the native Trinidadian language/culture was really only accepted in the entertainment field. Similarly, in the U.S. African Americans and their culture first gained momentum in this same arena. Take for instance, the music industry. The words “rock and roll,” themselves, are rooted in black culture. For African Americans, it was slang for dance or sex. Many of the hits of early great artists, such as Elvis Presley, were either complete fabrications of “black” songs, or closely related versions. African Americans such as Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson helped the movement of African Americans in the sports arena.

I really appreciated the fact that Ernie Smith chose to incorporate his intimate language (ebonics) into his essay. It provided the reader an opportunity to gain some insight into this man's world. I still struggle with my language identity. It is very difficult for me to go with my fiance to his hometown, without feeling the pressure of “not living up to the stereotype.” I feel that I cannot let my guard down. Don't get me wrong, they know that I am from the south—I can't hide all aspects of my southern dialect. But rather than just relaxing my tongue, I try very hard to speak a more standardized version of English—I would never say “aint” or “y'all.”

Did anyone else think that it was ironic that the reform school that Mr. Smith was sent to was “Jacob A. Riis School?” Jacob Riis was an early pioneer for reform. He represented and spoke up for those who were unfortunate, and often did not have a voice of their own. His piece, “How the other half lives,” was almost solely responsible for the reform of immigrant living conditions.

Heather Coe