Mother's Tongue (Lunsford, 2008)

The story "Mother Tongue," written by Amy Tan really hit home for me. In Ottawa, a varied group of deaf people don't excel in the English language because it's not their native tongue. However like the author in this story, I excel in both languages - English and American Sign Language. I grew up surrounded by hearing and deaf people, and so I was able to learn the proper grammar for speaking English as well as the rules for American Sign Language. Although I used English more often that I used American Sign Language, I was still able to change the rules in order to articulate clearly with my native tongue (ASL). I understand why it's a challenge for deaf people to communicate with the hearing world because their English is much more complex as opposed to the hearing world. I've seen various people communicate with each other, and sadly too many times, the message isn't being sent across appropriately. As that occurs, hearing people get frustrated and automatically label deaf people as: "stupid," "needy" or out of touch with the world. Although we know that isn't true, it's just the way we are stereotyped because of how we choose to express ourselves in a creative way through American Sign Language. Our native tongue.

In the beginning of Mother Tongue (Lunsford, 2009), Tan identifies herself and her family as Chinese which clearly shows that English is not their first language. She then explains that her mother is fluent in Chinese, her native tongue but struggles communicating in English. Although Amy's mother can understand written English, she is not able to respond back using proper English. In result of that, a few people showed prejudice against her. In conclusion to that statement, I feel that most people arbitrate depending on a person's ability or inability to speak and understand a language much different than their own. In the story, you witness various acts on discrimination against Tan's mother. Although Tan herself can speak English as her first language, she stands her ground as her mother is being attacked with racial discrimination. Some people just aren't willing to open their minds to different languages. For instance, on page 806. Her mother tried contacting the bank asking them what was the delay in sending her a check which was two week's late. Instead she got her daughter to talk on the phone for her, and almost immediately, the money was on its way. However in person, they were astonished of her English because it was limited as opposed to the woman speaking on the telephone. Hearing about that situation really disgusted me, it made me feel frustrated because even though Amy Tan's mother is not perfectly capable of speaking English, it doesn't mean that she is inhumane? That woman has every right to be treated with the same amount of respect as every other individual in this world. The possibility of speaking English or not doesn't mean that a person isn't capable of being smart.