Identity And Language : The Relationship Between Language And Identity

Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue” connects to many of us whose English is their second language specially if one’s coming from a different country than the USA. Amy Tan connects to us in such a personal level in which one starts to relate to her. Coming from a background in where language plays an important role in my life, I indeed started to relate to her in every way. Like Amy Tan, language defines the type of person we are and how it affects our lifestyle on our everyday lives. Although we come to this country and learn an English that is not perfect or “Imperfect English”, doesn’t make one less intelligent nor different from others.

In Amy Tan’s essay, Mother Tongue, she reflects how her mother’s language did not define who she was by stating “She reads the Forbes report, listens to Wall Street Week, converses daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine's books with ease--all kinds of things I can't begin to understand. Yet some of my friends tell me they understand 50 percent of what my mother says” (207). Amy Tan's mother spoke bad English, but that didn’t undermine her knowledge. Although culture and identity are linked with a strong sense of pride, identity has a different branch in which expands more to a person such as their knowledge. The way someone dresses or the way they present themselves in general. Identity is a special trait or traits about you that no one else possesses, this is a prime example as to why language cannot be tied to identity. The two contrasts one another strongly because language is not something only one person possesses whereas someone’s style, for an example, can be duplicated, but not mastered. Identity is what makes a person who they are regarding all aspects of their

The film “American Tongues” documents a variety of English accents that are present across the United States and highlights a lot of the opinions people have about accents and people who speak these accents. A large majority of the people who express opinions about other peoples’ accents tend to express negative views, as they see their own accent as the superior one. The film focuses on showing the array of accents found in the U.S., but also how a lot of people who speak these “inferior” accents work to learn “Standard American English” to increase their chances of getting jobs and communicating in more official domains. Although the film was made in 1988, it expresses views still present in today’s society towards different accents, as people tend to continue judging others based not only on what they say, but also how they say it.

“Mother Tongue” is an essay by Amy Tan that examines the ways in which people treat those who do not speak or act like them. Simply, how people perceive those that are different . The main purpose of “Mother Tongue” is to inform the readers of the ways they might intentionally or unintentionally be treating people who speak broken english as Tan’s mother does. This essay highlights the extreme importance of language and how it connects with everyone’s day to day lives.

Most individuals take on multiple sub-identities in order to associate with certain groups in specific settings. This way, language allows people to adapt, and “be Muslim in the Mosque, Asian in the street, Asian-British at political hustling and British when traveling abroad, all in a single day” (Jaspal). There are so many experiences in the everyday life of humans that one single identity is hardly enough to fully appreciate what the world has to offer. Language breaks barriers between different settings and allows individuals to take on a motley of experiences that subsequently define their notion of self. In Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris describes his time in Paris, France, both interacting with the city community and in his French classroom. In the city, David practices a foreign language and is able to explore a new culture through social interactions, identifying himself as a self-assured foreigner who puts importance in global and cultural knowledge. On the other hand, his classroom experience with a Gestapo-like French teacher causes him to feel inferior in this foreign language, and ultimately he is too insecure to comfortably interact with the public community. The way individual’s use language is highly dependent on the situation in which they use it, and consequently their idea of who they

Cultural Identity is “The definition of groups or individuals (by themselves or others) in terms of cultural or subcultural categories (including ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, and gender)” (Oxford Reference). Everyone has cultural identity even though some are unaware of theirs because their habits and traditions might be seen as normal to the person and they might not make the connection that it is a cultural tradition or connected to their cultural identity. Some people are very aware of their cultural identity and have conflict within their identity because the cultures may not coincide. Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait: On the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States and Pat Mora’s “Legal Alien” both show cultural conflict through symbolism, conflict, and purpose.

By welcoming the diverse languages and religions of the world, America is considered a melting pot of both cultural and ethnic identities. In the essay about bilingualism “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldúa she writes, “So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity - I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself” (172). Anzaldúa believes that her ethnicity and language are what make her who she is. Therefore, by insulting her language, she is insulted as well. Her identity is “twin skin” with how she speaks. Linguistic identity is the ability for a person to speak freely in any language and ultimately their identity is shown through shared language. The things that define a person are their actions, their behavior, the way they walk, and the way they talk. A person’s culture has a heavy influence on their identity throughout their lives. To disrespect an important part of their culture, their language, is to disrespect the person on an extremely interpersonal level. The person would be, therefore, discouraged from speaking their native language. Anzaldúa shows that her language constitutes who she is; it binds her to the existence of her identity therefore a person’s language defines his/her identity.

In the essay “Mother Tongue” Amy Tan, the author, gives a different, a more upbeat outlook on the various forms of English that immigrants speak as they adapt to the American culture. Using simple language to develop her argument, she casually communicates to the audience rather than informing which helps the audience understand what is being presented at ease. Her mother plays an important role in her outlook of language, because she helps her realize that language not only allows one to be a part of a culture but create one’s identity in society. Amy Tan shares her real life stories about cultural racism and the struggle to survive in America as an immigrant without showing any emotions, which is a wonderful epiphany for the audience in realizing how a non-native English speaker handles everyday situations.

Speech has always been important; yet being judged by how to speak on a daily basis is what many go through. Not everyone speaks the same, which is why each person is unique. The author Allison Joseph of the poem “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person,” has an precise frame of mind on how people believe that all black people speak differently than others. There is not a certain language that people should speak; it is passed down or learned while growing up. Allison states in the texts “Now I realize there’s nothing more personal than speech that I don’t have to defend how I speak, how any person, black, white, chooses to

I have chosen the video on food, Would You Eat It? 10 Weird Foods We Dare You To Try, to make connections between cultural norms, language, and personal identity. There are many cultural norms and values presented in the video, and it is interesting to be able to compare them to my cultural norms and values. Culture is what makes everyone different. Through enculturation we learn our norms and values through this process at a very young age. With culture, we have comfort and meaning for life. There are many cultures around the world have very different norms and values, as seen within this YouTube video. When the video first started I was caught off guard when I heard “10 most disgusting delicacies in the world” (TheRichest, 2015). It was shocking to hear the word disgusting, because everyone in the world has different taste buds and enjoys different things that others do not. Something disgusting may be delicious to another culture. Since we are grown up eating certain foods, we are accustomed to that taste and style, so cultures are use to their traditions and style of eating. Through out the video we hear ten disgusting foods that are from all over the world. There are so many cultures across the world and it was interesting to see so many and their norms and values they grew up with. The delicacies seen in the video are sometimes beliefs and symbols for cultures. They are norms, which are normal for them, and may come across strange to other cultures, but are meaningful

As the focus of this essay, cultural identity and discourse will be explored and evaluated to present both positive and negative impacts they have upon the educational experiences of indigenous Australian children today. Included will be discussions revolving around cultural and racialised identity; how these identities are shaped today; the negative discourse surrounding these identities and how it impacts upon children’s educational outcomes; and reflection on future teaching practice, views and attitudes that will inform my role as an educator. To begin with, the cultural heritage of indigenous Australians involves historical events that have shaped their identity development. The major historical aspect impacting upon indigenous Australians

In her essay, “Mother Tongue”, Amy Tan permits the reader to identify with her mother by recounting examples of her real life experiences that depict the hardships encountered by the broken English speaker in today’s society. She reveals the different Englishes that she has used since she was a child. She notes that the simple English she uses with her mother and the broken English in which her mother responds is familiar English used by the two of them, but it is not necessarily understood by others. People such as Tan’s mother, who speak broken English, have a difficult time blending into society because they lack the skill to communicate effectively, cannot demonstrate the full extent of their intelligence and are unable to affirm their worth.

In Amy Tan’s Mother Tongue, Tan examines the value judgement placed on speech, and how different forms of English are used to effectively communicate in different settings. Growing up in an immigrant household, Tan has first hand accounts of how “broken speech” can affect how people perceive who you are. Through personal anecdotes, the author discusses how different people have treated her mother as though she were inferior due to her “broken” speech. Tan has often had to act as a sort of “bridge” for communication for her mother. At first, these instances were a source of embarrassment for Tan; she felt as if “her English reflected the quality of what she had to say… Because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were

Cultural identity is the basis in which identification is used to express different aspects pertaining to identity and heritage. A person's cultural identity may be created by social organization, as well as traditions and customs within their lives. The two aspects that construct my cultural identity are the frequent chores I must complete every day in order to fulfill my behavioral expectations, and the youth group I attend weekly. These aspects are important to my family and me. Therefore, my identity has an immeasurable effect on my upbringing into this multi-cultural world I live in.

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self”. B.R. Ambedkar, in Develop with Fact: Neutralizing the Catalysts of Downturn, p. 57. There are many different languages spoken around the world. Sometimes it can create a barrier when trying to communicate. Other times it may cause you to be judged because you have a different accent, or you use different terminology. Language can play a small role in how people’s identities are formed., The language variety that you speak as a native language is closely tied to your geographical identity.