Gloria Anzaldua claims in "How to tame a wild tongue" that denying a group from their language is a
violation of the first amendment. True, because of the examples that she gives
of growing up at school, she was punished to speak the language that she grew
up as a child. Now because of the suppression of the Spanish language she goes
on to say that there are different dialects. She also provides examples of
different types dialects from parts all over the U.S., prime examples “TEX-MEX”
or “Chicano “ slang which is mixed in with English. This culture was
formed by creating something that’s more acceptable for the “anglo” community. And
who wants to change the why they speak just to fit in or in her case at the time
there was no choice. This brought some tension an division between the “anglo”
and Hispanic community because of a bad history. Why is it bad speak another
language? why can’t people speak freely about they want, don’t we like have “the freedom of speech”.
I disagree with you because I personally feel like John McWhorter did a better job in presenting his position on language. Where Anzaldua’s claims all happen to be more of opinions, John uses evidence. He tells us how language will diminish in number from about 6,000 languages to 600. Anthropologists would more than likely agree with this because from an anthropologist point of view, culture is always changing. When a culture meets another and they mix, for example: Tex-Mex, it is simply new culture that has been created. Slowly cultures will begin to merge and thus a universal tongue will be spoken. Perhaps in a few years from now the following generations from a Tex-Mex culture won’t even remember the original Spanish language and speak only English. This would help them be at a closer level with the rest of America as John said, “a symptom of people coming together.”
ReplyDeleteI defiantly agree with you. When you ask "why is it bad that we speak different languages?" The answer to that question should be, that it isn't. Language is what has diversified us for thousands of years and will continue to diversify us for years to come. I'm glad that you brought up the topic of freedom of speech because that is exactly what this is. Many people like to cuss and say inappropriate things but it is allowed because of that right. So why is it any different to speak a different language? If we restrict language and say that you are only allowed to speak English like how they did in How to Tame a Wild Tongue “I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess-that was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler”, then they would not be able to communicate. It would be like telling a deaf person to communicate without their hands. It is like they have been stripped of all communication. And the same goes for Spanish speakers who are not allowed to speak Spanish.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. People tend to reject what they don't understand. Speaking an unfamiliar language that isn't widely spoken in area will be quickly rejected , however over time it will begin to diffuse into the pre-existing culture. This is the same mixing of cultures that John McWhorer described in his article. This diffusion eventually results in the alteration of cultures resulting in things such as "tex-mex"
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