My American Dream and My Disappointment with Language (Liz Cortes)
I couldn’t start talking about language without telling first who I am, and that’s the reason is so difficult to explain which are my languages. Speak about it, is put my business in the street as James Baldwin explained in “If black English isn’t a language, then tell me, what is?”, and when that happens is impossible not to feel unsecured of others’ opinion. In addition is more difficult when you must speak in other’s languages.
To define my language and identity I will begin by saying that I am from Colombia, Bogota, I am 19 years old, and I grow up with my mother’s family (my mom, aunt, grandparents, and a cat). Based on this you can assume that my first language is Spanish and how special it is for me.
Dipping a little bit more in my language, something that catches my attention is the way that we spoke with our loved ones. “Mi niña”(my girl)- would say my mother, “mi chiquitina”(my little girl)- my boyfriend, “tesorito”(my little treasure)- my grandma, “cucu”(cucu)- my aunt and for my cat I would use “chonchito” (chubby )to call him. Those are some nicknames that we use, another word that I used a lot of is “cosita” (little thing) to name everything that I think is cute. This language makes me feel so comfortable and understood, but now I feel sad, because I am no longer with my family, and I have just moved to North America looking to continue my education and learn a new language. This new language, English, challenge me to communicate with other words and intentions, leaving back my accent and my own expressions. Getting adapted is being so difficult and more when Covid-19 circumstances make it hard to socialize and practice this new language.
The difficulties of learning a new language make you wonder about your identity and see how others classify you as “Hispanic” (a world that I never thought I will use to identify myself), and it gets worst when the stereotype of Hispanic is the first impression that people have from you. A lot of questions come to my mind: why I couldn’t get the same opportunities with my language? Why I must be different to make my dreams come true, how your own dreams could become true without your loved ones? Has any sense been here? I lose my time, my energy, and my life wondering all of this until I just resigned to wake up every day as one more day away from home.
I have been experiencing homesickness, willing to come back home and just be with my family again, but at the same time willing to know more about this country, learn more from new experiences, and see the world from another perspective. It pushes me to keep trying until English became part of my identity, as a lot of people must do as well.
Recently I heard a beautiful short history from National Geography about Naghmeh Farzaneh’s immigration and she mentioned her mother’s words when she worked in her garden “when you move a plant from one place to another you have to give it some time before to grow new leaves” to explain how long takes for a person accustomed to other ground, another language and food.
I feel I must give some time to myself to accommodate this new world and love the language and person that I am becoming to be.
Baldwin, James. “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”
The York Times. 29 July 1979,
Youtube, uploaded by National Geographic, 14 October 2017,
On Language
Issa Serrano
The LGBT+ community encompasses a large variety of people that do not fit the heteronormative or “normal” mold. It is a term that incorporates people of all sexualities and genders that are not straight or cis-gendered. It is a subculture that has faced scrutiny and ridicule, however in the face of such discriminatory actions we have created a space that’s main ideals are those of equality and acceptance. One that values kindness amongst us and allows everyone to have to freedom to be who they are. With our shared perspective we have created a language that reflects those beliefs, promotes unity, allows us to recognize each other, even when in a setting that isn’t necessarily queer. It generates a comradery that allows us to combat the hatred and discrimination that we face every day.
The LGBT+ community has its own set of vocabulary that is meant to keep out the bigots who do not accept us as part of society. In our attempts to combat prejudice, we reclaim words that have harmful meanings. The queer community is not the first to do this, as the African American community has done it as the Latino community. The Latino community specifically, created a whole language dedicated to the revolt of their oppressors called pachuco. The prevalent Latina activist, Gloria Anzaldua states in her essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, “Pachuco is a language… of rebellion, both against Standard Spanish and Standard English” (35). This is not a new concept, and every minority community uses and creates a language that is meant as an insurrection against those who cause them harm. Both to keep themselves connected and to keep the despots out.
The Queer community, as it is sometimes referred to as an umbrella term for the LGBT+ community (however that term has been debated as it once was used as a slur), has a sense of humor. In recent years a lot of young queers (or baby gays if you will) have taken long outdated slurs and turned them into words of affirmation and acceptance. Such as the word “fruity”. What once was a rude term to describe a gay person, is now a loving term used to identify other people of the community. It is like an inside joke, but for a larger group of people. A way for queer to make light of the injustices against them and as a rebellion to their oppressors. Queers reclaim this word to take back the harmful narrative that has presented them and to relate to each other. This word simply means that you are fruit if you are gay.
When we use language, we don’t often think about where it comes from. It comes so naturally once it is in our vocabulary that it just slips our minds. We have a predisposition to believe that it was created by a friend of a friend, or just that who we heard it from first knew where it began. The word originates from the early 19th century in Great Britain and was used mostly by the lower class in unsavory professions, such as sex workers and showmen. The original definition meant a mentally ill person, but as time progressed the word eventually came to mean more specifically, that the mental illness was homosexuality. Fruits, the food, is usually thought of as soft, and considered extremely feminine. By comparing queer men to a fruit, by those terms, it was insulting.
The 21st-century technology brought with it, globalization. People from all over the planet now have easier access to communicate with each other. The queer community has been able to connect what was small groups and bring together a larger base. We are existing on a global scale that less isolating and communities have been able to share our once regional specific language with one another. Queer groups have existed in different forms around the globe, and social media has brought them together. Twitter popularized the word fruit to expand outside of England and brought it to America.
The queers have taken a harmful set of vocabulary and turned it into something meaningful. When presented with hardships instead of shaming one another in an attempt to fix into a society that would shun them. We created a place where everyone is included and supported. This comradery has allowed us to gain equal rights and acceptance. Language connected us and allowed us to become an unmovable and powerful force that has overturned previous laws that have legally renounced us, but also turn the majority of people’s opinions to believe that all humans are equal no matter who they love. Only through the power of communication and language are humans prepared to mobilize movements. Finding humor in the face of pain the queer community is an impressive force
Works Cited
Anzaldua, Gloria. “How To Tame a Wild Tongue.” “They say / I say”: the Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, edited by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, W. W. Norton & Company, 2014, pp. 37.
Special Languages
Kayla Adams
Language, what does that even mean? According to dictionary.com, it says “Language is a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition”. We have been reading many authors these past weeks. James Baldwin was one who stuck with me. We read “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” by James Baldwin. Baldwin talks about language and how people might be speaking the same main language but aren’t speaking it the same way.
I come from a Hispanic background, a family who is Dominican and speaks Dominican Spanish. I say Dominican Spanish and not just Spanish because those who are Dominican will know that they are not the same. “Ahorita ”, this word in Dominican Spanish means later, but in other Latin speaking groups, this word can mean something different. My aunt works at a hospital and she was told by her boss who is Mexican to do something “ahorita”. My aunt ( who is Dominican) said okay, implying she would get to it later. Some time went by and her boss came back to her asking her why she still hasn’t done what he asked. And she was starting to get aggravated because to her this word meant later so she was confused as to why he kept rushing her. It wasn’t until some lady came out who was Colombian and explained to her boss that she is Dominican, and when you say ahorita it means later, while in Mexican it means right now. Not only was my aunt shocked but so was her boss. They were both saying the same word yet, they had different meanings coming from each group. They were both speaking Spanish but were not associated with the same group so they had their own meanings and weren’t familiar with the other’s definition.
In “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” by James Baldwin he states “and they would all have great difficulty in apprehending what the man from Guadeloupe, or Martinique, is saying, to say nothing of the man from Senegal–although the “common” language of all these areas is French. But each has paid, and is paying, a different price for this “common” language, in which, as it turns out, they are not saying, and cannot be saying, the same things: They each have very different realities to articulate, or control.” Even though all these groups were speaking the same “common” language as Baldwin said. Each group had their own way of expressing themselves. Just like my Dominican Spanish, it’s still Spanish but people from Spain, Puerto Rico, even different parts of The Dominican Republic might not understand or know what every word or phrase means.
Living in New York, you notice that the way new yorkers speak different than people who live outside of New York. Many people say we have an accent, even though we speak the same “common” language as they do. There are also certain slang that new yorkers use that anybody outside of New York probably won’t understand. Even if your from New York, depending on what borough your from there are different lingo’s within each borough. Lingo is words or speech used in a particular area or circumstance (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lingo). I’ve lived in Washington Heights for most my life and then I moved to the Bronx. As far as language goes they are both pretty similar.
These “secret languages” are commonly used within different communities. These communities can be formed from many different things. It usually forms from your environment and the people you’re around. I am a part of many different groups as you have read. I can associate myself with the Dominican “secret language”, as well as the New York “secret language”, and to be even more precise I can also associate myself with the Bronx and Washington Heights “secret language”. These are languages that I have grown up speaking, so these are my different ways of communicating with people. This is also my way to connect with different people and different groups. These phrases that we say and languages that we speak can affect the way we connect with others. You will be able to have a better conversation with someone if you can relate and are able to understand one another. It becomes harder to connect with people when you don’t have the same “secret languages”. It’s like you’re talking in two completely different languages. “Secret languages” can be key to most relationships that you form throughout your life.
The Sickest of the Sick
Angela La
“Did you know that the lungs are considered the organs of grief?” the chiropractor asks me, slowly moving the cold diaphragm of his stethoscope across my back. He tells me to cough, and I do. I wonder what he hears. Is there something wrong with me?
My mother sits in the corner, hand on her chest and watching with a slight frown. She’s always frowning and touching her chest, like she can’t believe anything is ever happening.
“She just coughs and coughs,” she gripes to the chiropractor. “She’s sick.”
At another time and place, I’m in a restroom, squeezed into the smallest stall with my girlfriend. She’s sitting with her legs crossed on the toilet, and I’m up against the door trying to keep myself from sliding down. We’re both whacked; before this we smoked a blunt, skin-popped a couple Dilaudid ampules, and chased it with a double G&T. I need this, and I watch her work her keys in the little plastic jar, breaking up the little white rocks. Live heavy music thumps through the walls, and I’m growing impatient. I pick a lump from the jar with my fingers and crush it between my teeth. My girlfriend laughs, calls me a sicko. We rejoin the crowd, arms linked and clinging to each other, mesmerized by the light show and the crooning silhouette on stage. This is sick, man, and I’m swallowed up by the crowd, the heat, and the colors.
Somewhere else, some time later, I hear my mother and sister arguing in the hall. I’m slumped in a mechanical bed, sort of dressed in a too-big hospital gown, sort of wrapped in that scratchy not-wool kind of blanket. I stared straight ahead, feeling very tragic and suffocated by the sunlight that beat down through the window.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her head,” my mom says. I can’t see it, but I can picture her shaking her head in disbelief, hand on her chest.
“She’s sick,” my sister pleads.
Sick is a magic word. “Sick jokes and sick cartoons, sick comics and sick singers, sick, sick, sick – till it almost made you sick,” wrote Albert Goldman. It can mean twisted or disturbed, like this Lenny Bruce joke: “Can Billy come out and play?” “You know he has no arms or legs.” “That’s ok, we just want to use him for home plate.” That’s sick, man. It can mean physically ill, like “I got sick all over the backseat of an Uber.” Or “That’s a sick kickflip:” gnarly, dope, awesome. In standard English, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, sick means “affected with disease or ill health,” as in I have a fever so I am sick. If you read from the New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, it means “excellent; wonderful. On the principle that BAD means good,” as in The Linda Ronstadt concert was sick. In my NA group, we’re not supposed to say “addict.” We come up with different ways to describe how “sick” we are, how far along the prognosis we are: I am a person with a substance use disorder. I misuse hazardous drugs and alcohol. I am in recovery. These are all to say I have a problem, an illness. Not I am the sickness.
“When confronting the power of addiction, the power of language is important to keep in mind,” said Colleen Walsh in “Revising the language of addiction.” The terms “abuse” and “abuser” have a lot of negative connotations to it; Sarah Wakeman wrote in an article for the American Society of Addiction Medication that the words imply “a willful misconduct and have been shown to increase stigma and reduce the quality of care.” Then, there’s the difference between dependency and addiction. Someone can become dependent on opioids used to treat chronic pain, meaning if they stop taking it, they will experience withdrawal. Addiction, according to the American Psychiatric Association, is a medical disorder that involves compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. The Gateway Foundation says, “The pervasiveness of addiction replacement shows that addiction is a disease, not a bad habit.”
I line it all up on the table:
-Antibiotics
-Ketamine nasal spray
-The prescription I take to sleep
-Cough syrup with codeine
-The prescription I no longer need to take, the one I took in addition to my regular Prozac and Seroquel and the propranolol that combats the side effects of the Prozac and Seroquel
-Advil (sugar coated)
-A brown bottle of capsules filled with Chinese herbs, something to combat phlegm and wheezing
-Subscription vitamins
-Homemade smokable herb blend to help with smoking cessation
-The prescription I’m supposed to take for smoking cessation
According to my doctor, I have a lot of drive and ambition that he told me I should not confuse with well-being. He wrote in my chart that I was Classic Depressive, Substance Abuser, Articulate. He asked me how I felt, being in the psych ward, and I said I felt pretty desperate. It was the worst thing I could ever imagine, and at the same time, I couldn’t imagine it. My brain was in two pieces and I couldn’t bridge the gap. “Sick was as good a way as any to describe it,” wrote Suzanne Scanlon.
It’s a weird feeling to be a member of the unexclusive club of people who have been damaged by addiction, perpetually in recovery. The period when a person is recovering from sickness is called a convalescence. The time in this space is slow moving, we often say at the meetings to “take it one day at a time.” I wish sick only meant the thing you’re first taught it means, that it involves sneezing and coughing and chills. We use it to mean being angry all the time, not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, hurting people and breaking promises. It’s desperate and maddening, and Supervert wrote it best: “I am taunting my future self, making my own life more painful and difficult. I do it willingly, proud of the work I do in terrorizing myself, all the while fearing the point at which it will catch up to me.” Would a healthy person do that to themself?
Vogue
Ryan Smith
The Queer community has always found solace within itself and among its peers, therefore queer language was born. This language trickles down from various communities but the one with the biggest impact is the Black Community but more so the Black Queer Community. Queer people have taken these ideas and phrases, and brought them into a different light shared amongst the world.
There are limitless phrases and words that live within these communities that the Hetero community wouldn’t understand or resonate with. These phrases and words are ever changing in addition to evolving with newer generations and influences adding to the mix. As we use these words and phrases, we need to be mindful and be respectful about where they came from. One of the most famous sources for this is the film Paris is Burning. A film documenting the lives of Black and Latin queer individuals living in New York City during the 1980’s. Its primary focus is the “Ball Culture” but also dictates many words and phrases that are used today by so many different people. Nowadays there are many renditions of specific words, nevertheless they all share one quality and that’s they all stemmed from one place of origin.
The “Ball Culture” stemming from the very beginning of the 1920’s was a way for Black and Latino Queer people to showcase talents and “looks” within what they would refer to as their “Houses”. Houses were a family like group of individuals that have found shelter within each other. They would often compete amongst one another in these “Balls” turning looks and striking poses to earn trophies and a name for themselves. New York City was seen as the epicenter of the Ball room scene and still to this day it’s still unmatched. This culture and world caught the attention of many faces who were in the mainstream media at the time of the late 1980’s to early 1990’s. That’s when the world really saw the endless talent of this Queer Community. Arguably the biggest artist at the time was Madonna who really put the spotlight on Ball scene with her hit classic Vogue. The song starts off with the quotes “What are you looking at? Strike a pose, Strike a pose Vogue (vogue, vogue) Vogue (vogue, vogue)”. As familiar as those words are now, the term “Vogueing” simply states: To walk or dance in such a way that you imitate characteristic poses from a model on a catwalk. During her many performances she showed the world what it meant to “Vogue” by showcasing the talents of these artists in her shows who’ve directly come from the Ball Room scene for instance Luis Xtravaganza Camacho and Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza, both from the Legendary House of Xtravaganza.
This can all be seen as a direct relation to the famous essay “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What is? Written by James Baldwin. In the essay he states how “Black English” isn’t shown as a reputable language in terms of white people. Yet people are ever taking words and phrases from the Black Community, yet they put down their trying efforts and make it seem as if their language and words aren’t as valid as the ones used by white people. Baldwin states that white people belittle the Black Community with the language used but by no effort try to understand and respect the chosen language used but instead they look down upon it. To this very day it happens with Black and Queer language. Some saw Madonna as someone who’s white, essentially stole this culture from The Black and Latino Queer community with her hit single Vogue. But with further discussion she paid respects to the ones whose very life she showed the world. We must always remember where these words and phrases originated from and to be used with the upmost respect.
Language isn’t just words thrown together piece by piece, but instead is a beautiful work of art. It has history, culture, pain, and love. It’s all things that make it unique to people from all walks of life. These languages are deep rooted in so many different communities from all over the world and it’s what makes the human experience immeasurable. With each passing day we see these ideas and words develop into something original and innovative. Within the queer community there’s so many diverse groups but the one thing that seems to be unbounded is the language spoken. It’s a rare and beautiful thing to be a part of and should be celebrated in such a way.
Works Cited:
Baldwin, James. “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”
The New York Times. 29 July 1979,
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/03/29/specials/baldwin-english.html?,%2522%2520&st=cse
Janelle Monae
While reading the lyrics and listening to Janelle Monaes song Q.U.E.E.N. The first quote that stuck out to me was “They call us dirty ’cause we break all your rules down. And we just came to act a fool, is that alright? (Girl, that’s alright).” I was instantly reminded of the essay by Hadiya Roderique The Case for Black Joy. Both are referring to how as black people that being able to express joy and livelihood is somewhat looked down upon and having being constantly judged.
She also has another lyric in the song where she states: “Hey sister am I good enough for your Heaven? Say will your God accept me in my black and white? Will he approve the way I’m made? Or should I reprogram, deprogram and get down?” What I gathered from this was she was referring to herself being a queer individual and saying she isn’t “good” enough to fit into their mold of how someone should be. Yet she still stays true to herself because at the end of day her own happiness is what truly matters and not the opinion of others.
I’m posting a couple of remixed songs of Janelle Monaes that I’ve had in my playlists for a while now that are really good so I figured I’d share them and give you all a listen, The first one is a remix of her hit Q.U.E.E.N. and the other is Make Me Feel. Enjoy!
Terms and Ideas Final Exam 1 (Roderique)
Hey folks.
Here’s a space to start building our Terms and Ideas lists for Hadiya Roderique’s “The Case for Black Joy.” I’ll post the essay here and two ways to download it.
Read it, then comment in the terms and ideas format (brush up on that here), but since the final exam is VERY important, do FIVE terms and at least TWO ideas. Try to add to our group knowledge by looking at what has already been posted, so that there’s less repetition. If you see a term or idea someone has posted that you could add value to, please reply to their comment!
A reminder on the Terms and Ideas form:
- Read the article (or essay or poem) first. Take note of things you need to look up. Look them up. Check that you are using a definition that makes sense.
- Mark sections of the text that introduce interesting ideas. This is much easier to do if you are reading on paper! If you are reading on-screen, write notes in a notebook. I know, it’s easier not to, but you will really, really wish you had done this when it is time to write a paper on this topic. Plus it makes you smarter.
- In you reply, list at least FIVE terms you looked up. This can mean just looking a word up in the dictionary — such as “tabernacle,” in the James Baldwin — or looking up a broader concept — such as “Congo Square” in wikipedia or similar. (Yes, wikipedia is fine for this purpose.)
- PROVIDE A SOURCE FOR YOUR DEFINITION. If you copy it word for word — which is fine for this assignment — PUT IT IN QUOTATION MARKS. You don’t need to use full MLA format for this assignment, though you are welcome to. A URL in parentheses or a link is fine. But get in the habit of giving credit to your sources.
- Next, write 1-3 paragraphs about TWO IDEAS in the text you think are worth further examination.
- After making your reply, return to the post and comment on 2-3 of your classmates’ replies. You may learn something! There are a lot of smart people around here.
Terms and Ideas Final Exam 2 (Fromm)
Hey folks.
Here’s a space to start building our Terms and Ideas lists for Erich Fromm’s “Disobedience As A Psychological And Moral Problem.” I’ll post the essay here and two ways to download it.
Read it, then comment in the terms and ideas format (brush up on that here), but since the final exam is VERY important, do FIVE terms and at least TWO ideas. Try to add to our group knowledge by looking at what has already been posted, so that there’s less repetition. If you see a term or idea someone has posted that you could add value to, please reply to their comment!
After you read this essay, post a reply using the “terms and ideas” model. Watch the Terms and Ideas” video and read more about that model here.
A reminder on the form:
- Read the article (or essay or poem) first. Take note of things you need to look up. Look them up. Check that you are using a definition that makes sense.
- Mark sections of the text that introduce interesting ideas. This is much easier to do if you are reading on paper! If you are reading on-screen, write notes in a notebook. I know, it’s easier not to, but you will really, really wish you had done this when it is time to write a paper on this topic. Plus it makes you smarter.
- In you reply, list at least 3 terms you looked up. This can mean just looking a word up in the dictionary — such as “tabernacle,” in the James Baldwin — or looking up a broader concept — such as “Congo Square” in wikipedia or similar. (Yes, wikipedia is fine for this purpose.)
- PROVIDE A SOURCE FOR YOUR DEFINITION. If you copy it word for word — which is fine for this assignment — PUT IT IN QUOTATION MARKS. You don’t need to use full MLA format for this assignment, though you are welcome to. A URL in parentheses or a link is fine. But get in the habit of giving credit to your sources.
- Next, write 1-3 paragraphs about an idea in the text you think is worth further examination.
- After making your reply, return to the post and comment on 2-3 of your classmates’ replies. You may learn something! There are a lot of smart people around here.
FINAL EXAM READINGS
The readings for the final exam are: “The Case for Black Joy,” by Hadiya Roderique, and “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem,” by Erich Fromm.
We will look at these together at the end of the semester, but YOU NEED TO STUDY THEM ON YOUR OWN, TOO. The best preparation for the exam is to read these repeatedly throughout the semester, until you feel them in your bones.
the-case-for-black-joy-by-hadiya-roderique disobedience-as-a-psychological-and-moral-problem-fromm