My Contribution to The Daily Bruin - UCLA's Newspaper
While still figuring out how to define my blog, I thought I'd continue posting pieces I considered noteworthy. The following is an article that appeared in the opinion section "Viewpoint" of The Daily Bruin, UCLA's campus newspaper, in the Spring of 1999. I was so offended by it that, despite being swamped working on my MA thesis day and night, I took time to send in a reply, which, to my surprise was published. You'll find it immediately following the editorial in question. Please chime in with your thoughts, if you have any. It could be my first controversy! :D
Language barrier deepens chasm in society
DIALECTS: Diversity deteriorates communication in United States, promoting exclusivity of groups
Personally,
the drive-thru is one of the many minor frustrations I encounter with those who
are not proficient in the language. It's a rarity that I drive off without one
item missing or some kind of payment discrepancy that never seems to work in my
favor. It's not because people are inherently incompetent or because they don't
care whether I get curly fries or regular fries with my meal. It's because of a
language barrier that produces problems way beyond potato skins. The
language barrier today is worse than ever, cleverly shrouded under the positive
guise of diversity that no white man with a stitch of brains would dare
counter. It's on the campus, in the dorms and in the dining halls. It's at
drive-thrus, at restaurants and at commercial venues. It's on the phone, at
work and on your street. I'm not trying to stomp out all of the
multiculturalism of this great country, but I have grave concerns over the
extent to which we are separating ourselves from one another by the sundry
languages we speak.
Walk around campus for a day, and the infamous segregation of which everyone speaks is not only skin deep; perk up your ears and the array of tongues you'll hear is astounding: I once caught a medley of Farci, Korean, Spanish and German walking from Kerckhoff to Murphy. This disturbs me, and if you're breathing and have a pulse, it should disturb you, too.
What is so disquieting is the threat that this Linguistic Self-Segregation (LSS) poses to our unity as humans, our inter-group relations. Not only does it cause segregation but it reinforces and perpetuates the cycle, where groups keep moving further apart. From a hypothetical standpoint, if two groups stand in front of you, one speaking your (centralized) language and the other speaking another language, the average Joe will feel more comfortable and invited in joining the group that shares his language.
LSS is also highly irksome because of the discourtesy it shows toward others. A perfect example that pertains to everyday life comes from a "Seinfeld" episode; in it, the female lead, Elaine, grows infuriated with the employees at a salon who are always conversing and laughing in their native language while doing her nails. As fascinating as this may sound (being able to talk behind someone's back in front of them) I've always found it to be downright rude and disrespectful. Someone could even be saying, "The weather is nice," in their language in front of me, but if I don't know what they're saying, it is taken to be just as impolite as any other utterance.
We've all been in these situations: stepping into an elevator to go up 20 floors while a group chats in a foreign language; going to a party where you don't understand what half the people are saying, and it's not because they're under the influence of any illicit substances. Of course, I realize people may feel more comfortable conversing in their native language, but how does anyone ever get better at a new language if he or she doesn't practice and improve?
Now I'm the first to admit that English is not the best language. There is nothing intrinsically superior about it. Every word is as "un-phonetical" as can be, and learning the grammar is no walk in the park either. Nevertheless, here in the United States it's the language of the land. And our deviating from that language, at least in public among each other, has a schism developing among groups in our society, particularly in the ultra-melting pot of California. You don't like English? Fine, choose another one, take a national vote on it and within two generations we'll all be on the same page; I don't care how we say what we say, as long as there is a centralized language in which we can say it! If I went to Istanbul, I certainly would not expect everyone to start speaking in my language just for me; I would realize that it was my responsibility out of courtesy and common sense to learn their language. Not only that, but I would understand that I am to be competent in the language or my job would be on the line.
Apparently, nothing of this sort happens here. Apparently, it's not even enough that we'll accept people speaking their native languages blatantly in public situations, but we'll allow them to perform miserably when they do have to speak the centralized language. I find this especially applicable to the university setting, where a handful of courses are taught by brilliant professors who, nevertheless, are not adequately able to express themselves. While I applaud their efforts, I cannot count how many times acquaintances (and myself) have complained about this abortive communication's adverse effect on their understanding of the material, and ultimately their performance in the class. Similarly, communication is significantly compromised when foreign speakers handling phone lines at important agencies or departments (the DMV, ahem) cannot effectively speak, spurring miscommunication and frustration.
I know how vital it is to the preservation of our individual cultures that we allow our native languages to flourish. Hallelujah, let them flourish! Speak them at home amongst yourselves. Revel in the joys of your tongue at your place of worship. I don't care. But the minute you take it outside where others are present, it becomes more precarious. Our LSS, if anything, promotes exclusivity, the absolute enemy to unity, reinforcing the "in-group, out-group" phenomenon that only eternizes discrimination. In my opinion, this issue is worthy of priority on the national agenda, to ensure the quality of our interpersonal communication as well as the harmony of our cultural groups. Everyone heralds diversity as the greatest thing since desegregation, but diversity taken to an extreme spells divisiveness, plain and simple.And so when different cultural groups speak in their native language among other non-speakers, I worry about the hazard it poses to our unity. Sure, diversity is great, but at what cost?
Here was my empassioned response:
Diverse languages enrich our lives
Who else was she referring to when she brought up those people who always get her order wrong in the drive-through? Who are those irksome people she sees and hears on campus, in the dorms and dining halls, at restaurants, at commercial venues, on the phone, at work and on the street? It is people of color, the "other" that she does not understand and apparently seems quite threatened by. I realize not all immigrants are people of color, but I haven't met too many French or German immigrants working at McDonald's. We all know who usually does and who she is referring to.
Before she stands in judgment of people in the United States who haven't quite acquired the mastery of the English language that she has, Silver should try to imagine herself in a more comparable language-learning scenario than her example of moving as a college-educated woman to Istanbul. Instead, she should imagine being a poverty-stricken, illiterate mother of five who works 12 hours a day, and is an economic immigrant in this country because of the oppressive economic policies of her previous government (which the U.S. government probably supports). That is the reality for a large part of the immigrant population in this country. So next time someone gets her order wrong, she should give these employees a break and check her bag before driving away.
I would like to ask Silver a question. In recommending that our government place this issue of linguistic self-segregation (LSS) as a priority on its national agenda, what does she propose? Language police? Does Silver want to live in a police state? (Many of our parents might recall the stinging humiliation of something akin to "language police" in their elementary schools, where teachers beat them with a ruler for speaking Spanish.)
Moreover, if language were really the underlying cause of segregation, then Chicanos, African Americans, Native Americans, and all other hyphenated Americans who have a perfectly fine grasp of the English language would have no reason to continue gathering together in ethnic organizations. We join together because we have a common culture and common interests. We enjoy being together and speaking in our indigenous languages and celebrating our cultures. My culture is part of my identity, my very being. Yet I am not bound to socialize exclusively with those of my ethnic group. In the same way that others are welcome to join in celebrating my culture, so have I enjoyed the nature of true diversity that has allowed me to study other cultures on our ethnically- diverse campus.
Silver stands to enrich herself immensely from learning other languages and seeking opportunities to explore other cultures. My life is marked by the wealth that has come from having been blessed with an open mind and a hunger for knowledge, especially that of other cultures and peoples. I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I am a Latina getting a master's in African Area Studies, and I speak Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Swahili (often in the elevator). I speak English pretty good, too!
So next time anyone hears someone speaking another language in the elevator, it's probably me. And Silver, don't worry about it; I am not talking about you. Anyhow, with all due respect, other peoples' conversations (even in English) are their own business. Thank you! Or for those of you who don't speak English, ¡Gracias! Merci! Grazie! Obrigada! Asante!
Language barrier deepens chasm in society
DIALECTS: Diversity deteriorates communication in United States, promoting exclusivity of groups
I fondly remember the "Lethal
Weapon" movies for Joe Pesci's small role as the whiny, satirical Leo
Getz, famous for his unending tirades on life's little annoyances. Perhaps his
most notable harangue was on the drive-thru. In this
scene, Pesci shouted out expletives and lamented, "They know you're not
gonna turn around and go back, they don't care." When I watched that part, I remember everyone
in the theater laughing around me, sharing the frustration of a language
barrier prevalent today, cleverly shrouded in the comic more than even
appreciating the humor within.
Walk around campus for a day, and the infamous segregation of which everyone speaks is not only skin deep; perk up your ears and the array of tongues you'll hear is astounding: I once caught a medley of Farci, Korean, Spanish and German walking from Kerckhoff to Murphy. This disturbs me, and if you're breathing and have a pulse, it should disturb you, too.
What is so disquieting is the threat that this Linguistic Self-Segregation (LSS) poses to our unity as humans, our inter-group relations. Not only does it cause segregation but it reinforces and perpetuates the cycle, where groups keep moving further apart. From a hypothetical standpoint, if two groups stand in front of you, one speaking your (centralized) language and the other speaking another language, the average Joe will feel more comfortable and invited in joining the group that shares his language.
LSS is also highly irksome because of the discourtesy it shows toward others. A perfect example that pertains to everyday life comes from a "Seinfeld" episode; in it, the female lead, Elaine, grows infuriated with the employees at a salon who are always conversing and laughing in their native language while doing her nails. As fascinating as this may sound (being able to talk behind someone's back in front of them) I've always found it to be downright rude and disrespectful. Someone could even be saying, "The weather is nice," in their language in front of me, but if I don't know what they're saying, it is taken to be just as impolite as any other utterance.
We've all been in these situations: stepping into an elevator to go up 20 floors while a group chats in a foreign language; going to a party where you don't understand what half the people are saying, and it's not because they're under the influence of any illicit substances. Of course, I realize people may feel more comfortable conversing in their native language, but how does anyone ever get better at a new language if he or she doesn't practice and improve?
Now I'm the first to admit that English is not the best language. There is nothing intrinsically superior about it. Every word is as "un-phonetical" as can be, and learning the grammar is no walk in the park either. Nevertheless, here in the United States it's the language of the land. And our deviating from that language, at least in public among each other, has a schism developing among groups in our society, particularly in the ultra-melting pot of California. You don't like English? Fine, choose another one, take a national vote on it and within two generations we'll all be on the same page; I don't care how we say what we say, as long as there is a centralized language in which we can say it! If I went to Istanbul, I certainly would not expect everyone to start speaking in my language just for me; I would realize that it was my responsibility out of courtesy and common sense to learn their language. Not only that, but I would understand that I am to be competent in the language or my job would be on the line.
Apparently, nothing of this sort happens here. Apparently, it's not even enough that we'll accept people speaking their native languages blatantly in public situations, but we'll allow them to perform miserably when they do have to speak the centralized language. I find this especially applicable to the university setting, where a handful of courses are taught by brilliant professors who, nevertheless, are not adequately able to express themselves. While I applaud their efforts, I cannot count how many times acquaintances (and myself) have complained about this abortive communication's adverse effect on their understanding of the material, and ultimately their performance in the class. Similarly, communication is significantly compromised when foreign speakers handling phone lines at important agencies or departments (the DMV, ahem) cannot effectively speak, spurring miscommunication and frustration.
I know how vital it is to the preservation of our individual cultures that we allow our native languages to flourish. Hallelujah, let them flourish! Speak them at home amongst yourselves. Revel in the joys of your tongue at your place of worship. I don't care. But the minute you take it outside where others are present, it becomes more precarious. Our LSS, if anything, promotes exclusivity, the absolute enemy to unity, reinforcing the "in-group, out-group" phenomenon that only eternizes discrimination. In my opinion, this issue is worthy of priority on the national agenda, to ensure the quality of our interpersonal communication as well as the harmony of our cultural groups. Everyone heralds diversity as the greatest thing since desegregation, but diversity taken to an extreme spells divisiveness, plain and simple.And so when different cultural groups speak in their native language among other non-speakers, I worry about the hazard it poses to our unity. Sure, diversity is great, but at what cost?
Here was my empassioned response:
Diverse languages enrich our lives
By Angela Velasquez
I
am writing in response to the article by Lisa Silver titled "Language
barrier deepens chasm in society" (Viewpoint, May 21). I noticed that the
Daily Bruin's policy prohibits the publication of articles that perpetuate
derogatory cultural or ethnic stereotypes. After reading Silver's article and consulting
with a number of my friends to see if I was just being a "narrow minded
liberal" (Is that an oxymoron?), I wondered how The Bruin could justify
publishing such a derogatory piece from one of its regular columnists. Though
Silver wasn't blatant about it, she subtly perpetuated a number of offensive
stereotypes about minorities. Who else was she referring to when she brought up those people who always get her order wrong in the drive-through? Who are those irksome people she sees and hears on campus, in the dorms and dining halls, at restaurants, at commercial venues, on the phone, at work and on the street? It is people of color, the "other" that she does not understand and apparently seems quite threatened by. I realize not all immigrants are people of color, but I haven't met too many French or German immigrants working at McDonald's. We all know who usually does and who she is referring to.
Before she stands in judgment of people in the United States who haven't quite acquired the mastery of the English language that she has, Silver should try to imagine herself in a more comparable language-learning scenario than her example of moving as a college-educated woman to Istanbul. Instead, she should imagine being a poverty-stricken, illiterate mother of five who works 12 hours a day, and is an economic immigrant in this country because of the oppressive economic policies of her previous government (which the U.S. government probably supports). That is the reality for a large part of the immigrant population in this country. So next time someone gets her order wrong, she should give these employees a break and check her bag before driving away.
I would like to ask Silver a question. In recommending that our government place this issue of linguistic self-segregation (LSS) as a priority on its national agenda, what does she propose? Language police? Does Silver want to live in a police state? (Many of our parents might recall the stinging humiliation of something akin to "language police" in their elementary schools, where teachers beat them with a ruler for speaking Spanish.)
Moreover, if language were really the underlying cause of segregation, then Chicanos, African Americans, Native Americans, and all other hyphenated Americans who have a perfectly fine grasp of the English language would have no reason to continue gathering together in ethnic organizations. We join together because we have a common culture and common interests. We enjoy being together and speaking in our indigenous languages and celebrating our cultures. My culture is part of my identity, my very being. Yet I am not bound to socialize exclusively with those of my ethnic group. In the same way that others are welcome to join in celebrating my culture, so have I enjoyed the nature of true diversity that has allowed me to study other cultures on our ethnically- diverse campus.
Silver stands to enrich herself immensely from learning other languages and seeking opportunities to explore other cultures. My life is marked by the wealth that has come from having been blessed with an open mind and a hunger for knowledge, especially that of other cultures and peoples. I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I am a Latina getting a master's in African Area Studies, and I speak Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Swahili (often in the elevator). I speak English pretty good, too!
So next time anyone hears someone speaking another language in the elevator, it's probably me. And Silver, don't worry about it; I am not talking about you. Anyhow, with all due respect, other peoples' conversations (even in English) are their own business. Thank you! Or for those of you who don't speak English, ¡Gracias! Merci! Grazie! Obrigada! Asante!
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