I just read an amazing piece about the social/cultural movement to save Tibet, and the entire time I was thinking about the Deaf community. (cite below)
I donít know much about what has happened since Deaf Majority Now, but Iíve heard that Deaf folk like the new superintendent more than they thought they would. I can also see that the path of development for Austine continues toward becoming a speciality school for deaf kids with disabilities (article in the Reformer about the return of the ìChallenge Programî). While this isnít bad in and of itself (thereís a definite need), it doesnít bode well for cultural survival over the long term.
The article is about how the Dalai Lama committed to and has pursued an international campaign that uses the cultural distinctiveness of Tibetan Buddhism as its cornerstone. This has pros and cons, the pros being that it ìfitsî into a Western logic about politics and marketing, the cons being that it reinforces stereotypes, such as all Buddhists are monks. Despite all the dangers of cooptation, the author, Meg McLagan, concludes: ìimmersion into First World media technologies and publicity circuits does not automatically imply co-optation of Tibetans or the Tibet issueî (2002:106).
My argument for the Deaf Community has been that it needs to similarly ìfitî into mass media campaigning, and Iím encouraged that McLagan thinks it is possible to do without necessarily giving up autonomy. The Dalai Lama is an extraordinary character, of course, but I think the ìstarî of a Deaf cultural difference campaign would not be a person, it would be the language, ASL. Hearing people LOVE IT. They donít know how to approach Deaf people about it, but interpreters hear (!) about it all the time. Instead of focusing on the ineptitude of heariesí cross-cultural communication skills, maybe the Deaf community could see the other side of this phenomena as an incredible opportunity.
I understand all the historical forces which have led the Deaf to protect their language and culture by focusing inward - but Iíd argue that the way to save themselves now is to get it on display! I think Austine and the Deaf community in Vermont are extremely well-positioned to make the most of this cultural capital. Brattleboro is a progressive town, full of people who really do care, even if they donít always know how to channel this care. Weíve got to show them by reaching out and enticing them in.
This is the essence of collaboration ñ imagine a town where interpreted performances were routine. What a boon to the arts that would be! How many more people might be drawn to the area because of the unique intermingling of cultures? Weíre talking economic development here ñ for the region. More Deaf people would come, more interpreters would follow, more employment ñ an enlarged tax base ñ more local money circulating locallyÖand those parents who desperately want bicultural children who are citizens of both worlds would see not just a self-contained school but an entire community comfortable with negotiating and interacting across linguistic and cultural difference!
Ok, so I can get carried away. It just seems so possible to me.
ps - this thinking is not new!
Spectacles of Difference: Cultural Activism and the Mass Mediation of Tibet by Meg Mclagan in Media Worlds.
Leave a comment