Page 226 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

Cultural Sensitivity Shouldn’t End at Five O’Clock 211

we demonstrate our ties to the community—which may be as
close as we can come to the comparing of networks of acquain-
tances Deaf people share with each other when they first meet.

Name Signs
Many of the points in this chapter are ways of demonstrating re-
spect for the people and culture we have come to know. As dis-
cussed in chapter 5, ASL possesses a Traditional Name Sign Sys-
tem by which Deaf people are given one of the two distinct types
of name signs, either arbitrary or descriptive. Traditionally, hear-
ing people were not given name signs, since the two cultures had
much less contact than they do today; they were referred to by
spelling out their English name. The name sign system in ASL is
evolving, however, and there are new developments that are viewed
negatively by many Deaf people. Some hearing people, mostly
novice signers, and even a few Deaf people have a name sign that
fits neither into the Arbitrary nor the Descriptive Name Sign Sys-
tems. These may be termed “nontraditional” or “blended” name
signs, and they typically use a handshape to represent the initial
of the person’s name but with the sign made in a location and a
movement to suggest a meaning. They may refer to a physical
feature (S-WITH LONG WAVY HAIR) or a personal characteristic
(D-WHO IS ALWAYS LATE) or even a hobby (M-WHO LIKES MU-
SIC).
“Deaf people have responded negatively to the increase of
nontraditional name signs within their community,” warns Sam
Supalla in The Book of Name Signs (13). He goes on to state:
The notion of a hearing person possessing a name sign
is a much more complex issue. This is especially rel-
evant when considering that the mere possession of a
name sign symbolizes membership in the Deaf com-
munity. Thus it is necessary for a hearing person to
understand the true value of name signs according to
the traditions of the Deaf community. (18)

Clearly, we must look at our name sign, if we have one, and
consider if it fits the traditional name sign system of ASL. When
in doubt, it is always a good idea to consult with a few Deaf com-
munity members for their advice. Suppose you examine your name
sign and find that it does in fact belong to the nontraditional cat-
egory. You may be puzzled in recalling that it was made up and

09 MINDESS PMKR 211 10/18/04, 12:03 PM