Annalise Lowry

Professor Augustus
SIgn 202
14 June 2016
What Does It Mean? Accompaniment
One very important piece of the culture of American Sign Language is the literature,
particularly poetry and alternative forms of expression. It is not only a creative method of sharing
experiences, but some of these forms are unique to American Sign Language and can not be
translated exactly into spoken language in its preserved and whole form. However, the culture
attached to the Deaf community in the United States is far more than a poem. The long, trying
history has so much more to say than any rhyme scheme can articulate. Now, to choose one
particular piece of Deaf culture, a story, an article, an experience, to sum up what I have learned
and what I have seen is hardly enough. So, instead, I believe a spectrum of subjects is necessary
to express my enjoyment and adoration for a culture laid so very thickly with history and
togetherness.

From the outside looking in, the Deaf community is exactly that: deaf. There is no
degree recognized, there is no significance other than the degree of hearing that separates the
deaf from the not deaf. However, the science of it is, in itself, semantics. The most important
thing in the Deaf community is not what went wrong in the ear, when they got sick, or how
well their grasp on the English language is. The importance of the Deaf community lies in
history, the people, the traditions, the family. There is no family more together than that of the
Deaf community. For example, when a young girl named Hayley is recognized, every back
bends down in line to say hello. In that moment there is no discussion of decibels or the ossicles.

There is conversation, catching up and filing in the gaps from the last time they were reunited.
The Deaf community is very accepting and loving, a group perfectly represented in its love for
this young girl. She signs well, knows and appreciates the language. She also inspires others to
learn.

Another wondrous piece of the culture is the history the Deaf community holds so dear.
From the origins of their language in France to those important faces and even the once
flourishing Deaf Utopia. Marthas Vineyard is an example of acceptance and tolerance that was
not functioning in the same manner as every other community in the world. There was
bilingualism, and it was not proud or specific to any group of people. The language was a tool of
expression and communication, much the same as it is today. It also acted as a method of
bringing together a group of people that, after the breakdown of this Utopia, seemed impossible
to recreate. This innocent group, unaffected by pride and selfish fools, was a true community.
They came together and utilized all linguistic methods, signing not only to communicate
originally with Johnathan Lambert, but all the way through to Katie West. They remained
tolerant and accepting. They became so comfortable, and the language so useful, it was preferred
over spoken English, the previous trend, in some conversations. Although this community was
old, it proves that if in the right mindset, with the correct set of values, any signed language can
exist among the local users and remain just as strong any any spoken counterpart.

Third, a striking piece of this course has been the sharing of community as experienced
through That Deaf Guy as well as Kevin Haliburtin. Family is often seen as a place or group in
which you can be very frank and share most, if not all of your experiences. They remain to
support you, to nourish you, to encourage you. There is no ill will or harm meant for those close

relatives that you love so dearly. Each family unity, Deaf or hearing, is like the whole of the Deaf
community. There are the elders, telling stories, using signs no one uses anymore. There are the
adults, parading around children and discussing the day-to-day happenings. There are the
children, expressing themselves carefully and simply, enjoyment and wonder in their eyes. The
whole of the Deaf community is like a large family reunion. The numbers are hard to pin exactly,
the food is delicious and goes fast, and there is a wonderful socialization that occurs. Everyone
knows every other person somehow, from work, Deaf nights, past experiences, schools, or
similar events. Even if you have never met another person before, if you are part of the family,
you are welcomed, hugged, your hand is shaken, and you just begin talking. There is never
enough time in the day to say goodbye, and your conversations last for hours, long past closing
or the suns attendance. But nevertheless one thing remains: community.

All in all, I believe that not a single aspect is more important, from those individual
members, the history, or even the current community. The culture of the Deaf is rich, laid thickly
with history, held together by a common language, and preserved by a community. This
establishment is a strong as a tight knit family, with the numbers to raise an army, and an intellect
that change minds. Culture can not be so easily captured or recognized, but rather, it requires a
list of things, each as important and necessary as the last to keep the heart beating and pumping
at the center of the community. Not a single group of people could claim that they know a closer
spoken group. The Deaf community cherishes their culture, and aims to preserve it indefinitely,
spreading and embracing all of those who share with them their precious language. Deaf culture
is more than any one thing, rather it is everything. In every single sign there is history,
acceptance, struggle, community, experience, expression, and a people that are welcoming to any
and all that go their way.