Tag: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet

Gallaudet University: A Signing Community?

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Honestly, as three days ago, when I was at Library of Congress to see private collections of old letters hand-written by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, Sophia Fowler Gallaudet, Edward Miner Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc, the list goes on—to help out a friend for PhD dissertation.

ASL stands for American Sign Language. They all had the goal: ASL-centered, ASL-oriented, ASL-controlled for Deaf people who comes from all walks of life. Between 1815 and 1847 letters, they all were fierce. They knew that sign language is the best and powerful to overcome intellectual oppression. The very same letters I read, where Sophia writes to T.H. Gallaudet:

I love Laurent Clerc. I love seeing his signs.”

Sophia became the matron for Gallaudet University. Without the matron of Gallaudet University, sign language would not be there. Sophia knew sign language was the pivotal moment.

That was the goal to see ASL everywhere on Gallaudet campus and that was all they wanted. That was the bottom line. That was it. Sign language changed Sophia’s life forever. That was history in the making!

Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet sailed together for destination back to America. They both knew that sign language have the power to directly represent and protect the interests. They stood true until their death.

Gallaudet University, the world’s first university for Deaf, to claim Deaf people’s intellectual life to ASL across the educational landscape and reject oppression practice; Hearing people with hearing privileges walk and talk around on the Gallaudet campus, insulting ASL that should be appreciated our language, that is ASL within the institution of higher education.

ASL is a step in the direction of intellectual equity, as the huge banner rolls out front of parking garage at Gallaudet University across from Union Market, makes an official statement that it is signing community. Can we really see Gallaudet University an ASL-centered university only? We need to make sure Gallaudet University as an ASL-centered needs to make a clear sense of what ASL is used for so that we are in a position to navigate Gallaudet as an ASL community. Signing is like mode of communication. Signing can be Sim-Com. Oh yeah, Sim-Com is still practiced at Gallaudet. It is better to use ASL instead of signing.

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Yet, there are hearing people who talk without sign language, oppressing ASL on the campus that is supposed to be sacred for Deaf people. Please look at my most previous post, Signing Community: Hypocrism at Best where seven videos were sent to me by several Deaf people who felt insulted.

Why do you think Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet went all the way to England to join in the audience and witness Deaf people signing and writing on stage, and that was where T.H. Gallaudet shook hands with Abbe Sicard—the history of all the Deaf is the most beautiful thing! Is Gallaudet University enough ASL-centered with instruction and scholarship?

The huge banner “We are Gallaudet University: A Signing Community” needs to examine more and I mean, really deep in heart. Audism is not allowed at Gallaudet University. It is a big problem! When hearing people talk on the campus designed for Deaf people, is exactly the struggle for Deaf community to feel oppressed. The latter attitude is that the term “oppression” has been most invisible mirror, oppressing ASL and Deaf people.

Should we allow language hegemony by hearing people? Deaf people had fought hard for ASL. We all cannot deny that. Is it intellectual oppression? Behind the university gates, oppression is everywhere and that is embarrassment. There is no way Gallaudet University should not allow people talking and insulting ASL, its linguistic and cultural heritage of the Deaf, period.

Again, “We are Gallaudet University: A Signing Community”–Can they really be honest with themselves? When hearing people talk on campus, they do not see ASL as a human and it continues to be oppressed. Deaf people are hurt. Deaf people are suffering. That is the real answer.

 

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We cannot forget the passion in ASL. That’s our mother tongue. After all, we are the ones to push for change. No more Audism! If they use that banner, then the major point of using ASL on the campus is to transform the language and culture to intellectual life. That’s how it is supposed to work. ASL is intellectual property and that is it matters the most……for Deaf people whose ownership is ASL first on the campus.

Again, please be honest with yourself. Gallaudet University is not a signing community. Not yet. It is better if the banner says: Gallaudet University is an ASL community.

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

 

 

 

 

 

Why Library of Congress Matters Ever in the Age of Deaf Education

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Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.: Guardian of the private collections. There is nothing better than this unique place. The principles at play are much larger than this. I believe in mother of all libraries. Indeed, growing up where I usually carry library card with me all the time, the experiences as a library supporter, my experiences studying in libraries, and by researching, reading, and writing has informed my belief in the ideal that library system, that will greatly benefit of, in the ranks of information that has often quickly forgotten how important it is.

It is with a heartfelt debt of gratitude that I grabbed for the vote of confidence in electing to do this opportunity. I was helping out a friend for PhD dissertation, and I am humbly entrusted with the responsibility of helping out this. Access to private collections is generally limited to those engaged in higher learning studies.

All the books I’ve read about Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, Sophia Fowler Gallaudet, Edward Miner Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc, and others long before I moved to DC, but nothing will ever replace this. Now I got to witness hand-written letters by the very same people above. Incredible experience!

Until today, walking into Library of Congress to do academic research for the full day, has advanced issues of importance to Deaf community for truth results why American Sign Language (ASL) shall kept strong, vibrant, and resilient who care about the safety and wellness of where Deaf community live and about each other and how we can grow.

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The collections of documents about Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Edward Miner Gallaudet papers with hundreds and hundreds of letters goes back to 1806 to 1847, was incredible experience. I got to see the old letters written by Sophia Fowler Gallaudet whom she wrote a letter to T.H. Gallaudet had possibly made a history changer in Deaf Education. Sophia was born Deaf, and there was no Deaf schools in America that time. Sophia was a great writer, beautiful writing, indeed! Intellect. She was a matriarch in Deaf Education.

She writes: (keep in mind, it is not exactly accurate words, but I’ll do my best)

I love Laurent Clerc. I really loved [learning or seeing?] signs”

That might be the earliest birth of bilingualism (ASL/Written English) proficiency in my opinion. Sophia was definitely a thinker after reading the handwritten letters to T.H. Gallaudet and she knew that the importance of sign language in Deaf Education would be much needed in the sustained, systematic, and reflective thinking about the language and Deaf culture.

Laurent Clerc must be an amazing signer, that brought concepts and beliefs in any subject to see what is good and reasonable to believe about it, and why. That must have gotten Sophia to invest in love with sign language to understand expression, and shows that ASL is empirical and observable than ever today.

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That letter written to Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet proved that sign language tends to examine data and evidence already available, usually trying to put ASL into a clear and reasonable perspective, rather than to seek new data.

After all, bilingualism is the best thing. Modes of communication are considered to be a waste of mental energy, for no useful purpose. Bilingualism is a path that can be embraced. It might be a process quite foreign to many of us, but today, the peer pressure of western medical and technological science has pursued a path of restoration of hearing through amplification and cochlear implants, but they do not produce healthy path for Deaf people.

It is best to learn ASL and written English will make ALL the difference. Early life of bilingualism would begin great storytellers and create their layer inner richness as human beings. It develops an understanding of sign language, which makes a better human being.

In Sophia’s words to T.H. Gallaudet about Laurent Clerc is the most powerful means by values of Deaf culture are passed on. The formation of Deaf child’s identity is so important with ASL and written English where the stories that both mirror and appreciate that language and culture, and it is our responsibility to push for stronger bilingualism principles.

That is what Sophia wanted.

-JT

Copyright © 2019 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

At The Rim: Here Comes the Rimshot

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This post is to honor the author of At The Rim for your leisure. You know, being colonized and deny the journey of your own Deafhood, the same term before your eyes, is your last hiccup that recognizes your weakness to embrace Deaf identity.

Dude, the 1988 greatest story, has forever radicalized the original root of Deaf culture. Why do you think Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet wanted to create college for whom? Did the same Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet have a vision for hearing people? That was not his vision.

My fellow radicals who were supposed to pass on the torch of experience and insights to a new generation just were not there.”-Saul Alinksy

Tick tock. You need to work on your attitude more often. There is a word that might remind you would want to learn “self-hate” and that is where it begins. It does not mean it hates hearing. Do you hate Deaf? There was no such thing as “hearing hate” as you claimed. It is the bed of personal growth. Look at us, Deaf to Deaf!

As the author of this post, I do not hate hearing either. I come from hearing family. It is how hearing system work, it starts with the community accountability. Imagine this, what if there was none of stories about it in 1988 that never existed? What would it looks like today? Come on, history is for reason, born for America values in Deaf Education, and hold the key strong! Forget all the flat liners.

All the DPN activists had the same cause to protest as all of them have the constitutional rights, First Amendment, “or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” All of DPN had not committed any criminal incidents as you claimed. The only picture I once saw in a book about DPN itself where the bus tires were slashed, it is only misdemeanor.

Please take a look at other universities, pardon me, hearing universities, there were plenty of riots and done real criminal damage, it is huge difference what DPN was all about. Stop living in hearing mind.

It was only a temporary. Look at Jackson Police Open Fire on Protestors from website, “killing 2 students and leaving 12 injured. Many more sustained minor injuries from broken glass in the incident, wherein 30 seconds of gunfire and 140 shotgun rounds left every window along one city street shattered.” It was 1970. Mississippi.

As I checked last time, there were no injuries in 1988. DC lights flocked overnight in good faith.

No more than half hour drive depending on traffic, you would see University of Maryland in College Park, in 2010, 28 arrests, as for DPN, zero arrests, no? Unless I am mistaken. Two years later, University of Kentucky had won a basketball game against archrival, University of Louisville; there were a lot of riots and fires. None of them are like Gallaudet. There was no such thing as riot as you claimed.

The final note: DPN was a peaceful rally. Riot and rally are much different.

You are still living in the past. Accept the fact that Deaf people won. It is simple. You are correct that it is 2017 because the last time I checked, the president is still Deaf. Sorry to ruin your day but your hearing superiors don’t work well in here.

Dude. I am telling you that today Gallaudet University, President Bobbi Cordano has changed the leadership and make it more like Deaf-centered as possible, it is not full-ride centered yet, but it is going in the right direction.

Would people also think it is time to have Gallaudet University, Deaf-centered, Deaf-controlled and Deaf-oriented one day in the future? It may be possible. [I support that idea, myself.] I am sorry that you are being colonized and hope you will realize that you would need to heal your pain.

Let your extremism go. Being Deaf mind is the center of your heart. The heart is very precious and they control your destiny. Do not wait too long. The Deaf Mind I possess is not extremism. It is progressive. Please visit this page in 2013, Mirror, Who is the Fairest?

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2013/06/16/mirror-who-is-the-fairest/

American values are the most beautiful and complex tools of all time, at the same time, you need to realize by insulting American values on an American soil, it is nothing greater than Gallaudet University. You know, “Make Gallaudet Great” in ’88. The same principles we recognize the mystic flying birds, today is 2017 and the beauty of Gallaudet’s spirits are evolving.

The making of DPN made the wave of social movements, from civil rights to the rights of “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Deaf students had every right to petition the Government for all grievances. It does not mean they are rioters again as you claimed. Remember, it is not too late to begin your Deafhood journey that you will always grateful for in the long run.

That’s the beauty of life! Self-hate by being Deaf is not going to work anywhere. My blog is all about tough love. Also, my blog is not to be kicked around. When I visited Seattle to attend Paddy Ladd’s presentation at University of Washington in 2012, it was a method to see the love to embrace state of being Deaf and that is where you need to see the rim shot.

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At your last hiccup.

-JT

Copyright @ 2017 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

References:

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/01/biggest-college-campus-riots-in-history/kentucky-students-flood-lexington-streets-in-celeb

https://attherimmm.blogspot.com/2017/03/deaf-v-deaf.html

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2017/03/22/powerful-diversion-in-deaf-community/

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2013/06/16/mirror-who-is-the-fairest/

 

 

Clerc-Gallaudet: Admirals of the North Atlantic Ocean

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On the left second row: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc on the ship.

Honor Thy Deaf History by Deaf Artist, Nancy Rourke

“Only recently regarded as an almost helpless and useless portion of our common humanity” General James Garfield before becoming President for United States of America having concerns for Deaf people. [Moods of Silence: Willard J. Madsen]

200 years ago today [August 9, 1816]: Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet arrived into the landfall of America making the greatest destiny for the Deaf community with the sun set under a clear horizon, the lives of Deaf person in America is about to be changed forever.

On their final voyage before landfall, in the dark of the moon, wee hours before daybreak on August 9th, the mother ship, Mary-Augusta carried their souls through the land breeze, afterwards with the wind West, turning the prow East and by North destined for New York. It proved to be the most important pursuit of happiness than the outward passage of discovery for Deaf Education.

For 52 days, they remained together through highly entertaining and significant are the traces of how American Sign Language (ASL)-written English spread, and what they worked together to make sure Deaf people cannot be forgotten. It has become a new world for Deaf community.

The Grand Fleet of Mary-Augusta, not just too many Marys, but the pivotal Mary with a quote for your eyes to remember: Surely the isles of the sea shall wait for me….to bring thy sons from far–Isaiah lx 9. The isles of the sea brought the greatest Deaf son of France to set a destiny today.

Without Clerc, what would it be like today?  The catchword of Clerc is forever in the Deaf Studies lens. What campus would become the university that uses ASL for intellectual discourses? And what would the relationship of Clerc-Gallaudet be to the world? They brought the promise to the world and America. The change we demand has been declared in ASL.

The mother ship, Mary-Augusta was a clear step toward to provide the higher education we seek today. Thank you, Laurent Clerc and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet! They were certainly the Admirals of the North Atlantic Ocean!

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LINK: https://nancyrourke.com/

-JT

Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

Deaf Education: Elements of a Critical Pedagogy

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Pope Gregory I forbidding bishops to real pagan literature in the Fourth Council of Carthage in 398 A.D.—

It has come to my attention that you, my dear Brethren, have been explaining pagan literature to certain individuals….We received this matter reluctantly and vehemently rejected it…because the praises of Christ cannot coexist in the same mouth with the praises of Jupiter.

Sociological topic: Can we discuss the concepts in ASL in the same “mouth” with the concepts in Spoken English?

For years, a controversy has raged over the use of ASL in schools. Some people believe that it affronts “spoken” English and should be banned. Others regard it as quite harmless. Still other claims that ASL is beneficial, that it helps develop cognitions and provide a means to strength ASL- Written English bilingualism. Apply your creative and critical thinking and resolve the below issues.

This week—200 years ago (1816), Laurent Clerc and The Reverent Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet were on a voyage that was believed to be the greatest story of all time in Deaf Studies. They were about to leave France for America on June 18th—what did they have talked about before the land of the freedom? What kind of questions? What kind of missions? What kind of goals?

Was it ASL-Written English interpretation that has been carried on mainly at Gallaudet University? The Reverent Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet introduces Laurent Clerc, a Deaf French educator, and together they set up the first American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut.

Before this, Deaf Americans had no formal schooling, and, in only 47 years after the Hartford School, in 1864 (during the American Civil War), the first National Deaf-Mute College (known today as Gallaudet University) was opened on Kendall Green in Washington, D.C., by Edward Miner Gallaudet, the youngest son of The Reverend Gallaudet and Sophia Fowler (a Deaf woman) and a native ASL- Written English.

Please note that I do not support the idea of “spoken English”–this ASL- Written English Interpretation class has perceived itself as having three major roles in our world society: (1) providing information about the interpretation of signed and written languages through research; (2) educating the citizenry of the practices and principles of signed-written language interpretation; and (3) helping to develop public policies on signed-written language interpretation.

However, two major controversies, interwoven with each other, have sorely divided the profession from its inception. The first is the division between institutional traditionalism on one side and linguistic studies on the other. The second controversy is between idealism (Alexander Graham Bell insisted that Deaf children must forget that they are Deaf.) and realism (the Junior National Association of the Deaf motto: Promoting tomorrow of all the Deaf by working with the Deaf youth of today.).

As mentioned earlier, the first ASL- Written English Interpretation in the United States was heavily influenced by the French model, which emphasized education in English. Following this French model, the traditional approach to signed-written language interpretation is grounded upon describing Deaf Education and evaluating its effects upon the ASL- Written English Interpretation. The goal is to understand both languages in order to improve life and intelligence. Traditionalism therefore combines an interest in description with a desire to prescribe changes in education for the Deaf.

In the last half century, this approach was increasingly challenged by linguistics–science of language–, which looked for ways to use ASL to study and master the English language. ASL linguistics was based upon the philosophy of science known as positivism, whose basic premise is that scientific knowledge should be derived solely from positive data, that is, from information gained by observing phenomena with our senses. Positive data in ASL-Written English interpretation include linguistic claims such as linguistic aspects of signs and words.

Much controversy developed over the application of traditional versus scientific methods to ASL-Written English Interpretation. Alexander Graham Bell’s statement to forget the “Deaf” tells us nothing and therefore is nonsense. Any statement purport to describe reality, on the other hand, is positive, and may be refuted by observation.

That is exactly why Bimodality needs to be challenged and stopped in “spoken English” in Deaf schools, Lead-K (Language Equality & Acquisition for Deaf Kids) bill proposals and even Gallaudet University, too. It would be much healthier to switch to biliteracy.

Bimodality is the perfect example of linguicism: language oppression and….Audism: a racial term coined in early 1970s to suggest that it is better to hear and speak than not because of strong hearing supremacy that we need to be radicalized and will not be tolerated by being oppressed–to protect our Deaf roots. Two isms: Linguicism and Audism=Bimodality.

In other words, Bimodality is an important reason for the poor state of critical learning and thinking, which we have concerned year after year.

After all, a Norwegian philosopher, Arne Naess once told a story as a kid, he was searching for two pebbles that needs to be exactly matched, but could not complete his mission then as an adult, he was looking for two summits that needs to be exactly the same, once again, failed—in other words, no two languages are alike and I am talking about ASL and Spoken English–no way they are alike.

If you want to know more what radical is all about:

https://audismnegatsurdi.com/2013/09/23/radicalism-at-gallaudet-big-questions-to-ask/

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-JT

Copyright © 2016 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

Gallaudet Students’ Pitfall and Administration Pitfalls

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“In human hands, our intelligence has enabled us to overcome the restrictions of our biological heritage and to change ourselves in the process. We are the only species that does that.”- Ray Kuzweil, How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed. 

Today is the last day (December 10th) of Clerc-Gallaudet week. Next year, it will be 200 years in celebration of their arrival from France for America. It is forever legendary! It means that there shall be a huge change in the face of Gallaudet University starting on January 1, 2016. Within new president-elect coming in, Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano already has been visiting Gallaudet campus and listen to the changes. 59 out of 180 faculty members showed up for a productive meeting along with Bobbi in the audience last Monday, December 7th afternoon that they are not happy with the administration that holds 90 people. 11 people in President’s cabinet. They voted for a change of administration. They are tired of status quo. They really are.

They say only the administration sit on their hands, happy with the status quo. With that in mind, they want to see Gallaudet change with the positive vision. No more bullshit. No more gimmicks. They do not want to have another president in line for another major hardships for Deaf students, but all that has changed now with Bobbi in the mix. I just hope she keeps it gone long enough to get out the vote. The administration is the worst I had ever seen.

As a Gallaudet alumnus, I have some questions I would like to put to some people in the administration who agrees with Donald Trump’s hate-speech policies. How do you think Deaf returning citizens will treat when they are students at the university? Do you think they will be rounded up and put on reservations that lack proper well being for Deaf returning citizens? Do you think Deaf returning citizens will be profiled around? Do you think Deaf returning citizens will be looked upon not being good enough to earn a higher education degree—whatever that means these days?

Why—we might ask—do the administration think they are qualified to belittle Deaf returning citizens whenever they are walking around? Do they, for example, train and tell professors how to perform oppression against them? They apply that reasoning to the teaching profession. The administration needs to stop hiding lies—they do not ever respectfully listen—all of us—to what the administration say about their profession and its many needs. Do they call it and continuing education at Gallaudet? That is why it needs a new blood in the administration.

To paraphrase Socrates in Plato’s Republic, Gallaudet University we have known can never grow into a reality or see the light of day. At Gallaudet, possibilities must be limitless. Deaf returning citizens who are strive to be students are limited. The research has shown that the returning citizens, who have turned their life around for the better, are the best students, because they value the opportunity.

Without an education, the path toward rehabilitation and economic security is far more challenging—they do not need cruel punishment anymore. This sort of action in support for Deaf returning citizens would provide education—adding their intellectual, experiential, and cultural diversity within the student body.

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-JT

Copyright © 2015 Jason Tozier

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only including this copyright message.