Identity (Semester 2 | Week 1)

It seems that identity is the major theme I have come across during this week of 11 Ap's second semester, and how it is affected by different forms of language and communication. The first article I received this week, "Mother Tounge", was very intriguing; the narrator had a family background very similar to mine, yet our experiences with identity and English contrasted greatly.

Unlike the scenario for most children with immigrant parents, my mother's English is superb; her Chinese accent is indistinct, and her use of language in writing is extremely formidable. In addition, she has exposed me to many different forms of English in various forms from a young age. As a result of this, I never experienced the form of language that many people refer to as 'broken English' during my childhood.

It leads me to wonder how drastically the circumstances of my upbringing has changed my personal sense of identity; there is a chance that the lack of disadvantage and sense of racial divide in my small little city has caused my perception of society and its limits to contrast with others.  In another article, "How to Tame a Wild Tongue", the group of people described as 'Chicanas' appear to struggle much harder to find a sense of belonging in the same world that I have often thought to be accepting. It is almost impressive how large of a factor spoken language plays in their personal conflicts.

In fact, I am lead to believe that language is connected to a sense of identity in very powerful ways. The role language plays in one's life appears to have the ability to offer a person both numerous social connections and a sense of belonging, as well as the ability to strip a person of power. It is also a part of a person's identity that influences not only society's perception of that individual, but also that individual's perception of society.

Week one has brought some very interesting ideas to the table.