Page 116 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

American Deaf Culture 101

Certain pieces of information will aid in this process. Others
are considered extraneous and thus inappropriate during intro-
ductions. If they do not further the search for a mutual connec-
tion, these statements are just dead ends and seen as a waste of
time.
Person-to-Person Introductions. In unmediated introductions,
names are exchanged. The two people usually spell out their first
and last names plus a maiden name if they have one. Then they
tell where they went to school. If they went to a residential school
or a large day school, they are sure to mention its name, since this
is the richest vein of ore when digging for the gold of mutual ac-
quaintances in the Deaf world. If they did not attend residential
school, then they simply identify the type of school they attended,
such as “mainstream school.” The name of such a school is irrel-
evant because it will not, in all likelihood, lead to any connec-
tions. (A possible exception is a local hearing school that every-
one who lives in the same community would know, but this would
never be told to someone from another state because it would not
help to find a Deaf connection.)
After names and schools have been established, the next im-
portant piece of background to describe is family status—mean-
ing Deaf or hearing. Since only 10 percent of deaf people have
deaf parents, the fact of having them is usually remarked upon.
For example, A: MOTHER/FATHER DEAF? B: YES. MOTHER/FA-
THER DEAF. A: OHHH LUCKY!!! “Lucky,” because having Deaf
parents signifies immediate acceptance and communication within
the family, two elements which are often lacking in households
with hearing parents. If it is established that person B in the ex-
ample above also has deaf children, that fact may be even more
envied. If one or both of the people introducing themselves hap-
pen to have Deaf family members, their names are shared be-
cause they could lead to possible connections.
Consider this brief exchange during an introduction between
two Deaf people: C: MOTHER/FATHER HEARING? D: YES. HEAR-
ING. C: ME TOO. It immediately establishes a common experi-
ence of growing up that does not need to be further described.
Each person knows what the other’s experience was like. “Hear-
ing parents” generically signifies minimal communication. Per-
haps one’s physical needs were taken care of, but it may have
stopped there. “They fed me. That’s all.” “They loved me, but they
didn’t really understand me.”

05 MINDESS PMKR 101 10/18/04, 12:00 PM