Week 11: “Talking Black in America” [film reflection]

14 thoughts on “Week 11: “Talking Black in America” [film reflection]”

1. Reflection by Loida Rivera on “Talking Black in America”:

   Is there something like AAL? I don’t think so. That’s a political construct. Let me start by stating that Black, Indian, White and whatever imagined language is just that, mumbo-jumbo. Linguistic variations are as inevitable as death and taxes. The case of the Gullah Geechee really fascinated me above the AAL exposed in the movie. I think the whole movie should have been dedicated to this creole. First, because I never knew they existed, remember my background is in Economics and Finance. Second, when I began studying linguistics, it’s mentioned in a very superficial manner and conveys the idea that it’s a curious pidgin without importance. It is when I was researching about the evolution of Spanish in the Caribbean, that during the movie, Gullah aroused my interest because there is a parallel in South America and that is the Palenquero creole in San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia. This is a small town about 44 miles Southwest of Cartagena de Indias and 100% of the population is black. Many are descendants of the runaway slaves that established this village between the XVIth and XVIII centuries and grew as a close-knit community that still observe the folklore and music of their African ancestors.
   Research done on the roots of this creole point towards parallelisms and homologies from a creole called fa d’Ambo (don’t confuse this with bozal), from the island of Anobbon in the West African coast (Luis Granda in 1994). The biggest contributors to this creole were Edo, Igbo, Yoruba and Kikoongo (a Western Bantu language). Some common characteristics Palenquero share with these African languages are initial word nasalization, lateralization, neutralization of alveolar-palatal consonants, syllabic structure, non-inversion of the subject in queries and assimilation of the last vocal with the second word initiating in vocals (Luis Ortiz in 2008). There are no physical and linguistic barriers between San Basilio and the surrounding towns, so we cannot explain this phenomenon thru segregation, since they are not far from the coast. In 2005, this town was declared Human Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO.
   I cannot understand why this cannot apply to Gullah and why nobody is bothering to do it. These creoles tend to be fragile as the quantity of speakers dwindle and assimilate to mainstream languages, AAL included. Therefore, the recognition of Gullah must have priority above all other AAL variations. I cannot consider AAL as a unique phenomenon because all languages experiment variations. This perception of “uniqueness” in a group arises, in my opinion, when “Official Languages” are established by the local language academy. In fact, a lot of linguists are advocating pluricentric models of language families and not one “correct version” (monocentric). Even the Real Academia Española recognizes that variations are as valid and correct as the “purest” Spanish in the world, because that is an ideological construct, that doesn’t exist. So, let’s hear it for the Gullah Geechee, three hoorays for them and I hope a movement towards the recognition and protection from the UNESCO will be started very soon. The memory for the Gullah ancestors deserves it. (500+ words)

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2. Talking Black in America hit home with most of us. It talks about identity, race, social groups, and even socio-economical backgrounds. For the people in the documentary, language is a huge part of their identity and being accepted in their communities but if they did not speak with the dialect they were not “approved” by other people in the black community. In the documentary, a man was discussing with a group of friends how he used all his word and he was not considered to “speak black” but he is black. Same as the case of a woman that when to an all-white school and the way she talked got her marginalized in her community and was called “white girl” and so she had shifted between African American Vernacular and standard English. In a certain way, they are doing code-switching just to be included in their communities. Some say you must be able to navigate the system and that is a privilege.
   As Puerto Ricans, we have a similar situation. The aspirated /s/ or trilled /r/. The use of those represent different things and if one decides not to use them or certain words, then you can be easily marginalized for not speaking Boricua. Also, a person that is fluent in English might have the same problem, Although Puerto Ricans are supposed to be bilingual in some way not all of them know English or are fluent in English. When people meet Puerto Ricans that are fluent they then marginalize them and call them names as they did the girl in Talking Black in America. These situations of the language tend to be sad, because there is a certain set of word or dialects specific to a city or country but is a person from that place decides to not speak that way or was raised not speaking that way it does not make them less black or less Puerto Rican.

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3. 1. AAVE is not just a description of how black people speak in America; it is their entire identity and where they stand in their own community. Talking black is much like Puerto Rican Spanish; it embodies and represents an entire culture through speech. Although it is focused on black people who do reside in ‘American’ communities, race clearly separates them from the whites and therefore in the process they have constructed their own separate ‘culture’ and ideals that influence the way they communicate both in their own community as well as how they integrate themselves with the rest of the white community.
   2. Even within the black community there are differences in speech due to regionalism. Talking Black in America showed how saying something as simple as “Hello” varies across blacks amongst their distinct regions. Some linguistic differences:
    What it do?
    What up?
    What it be?
    What it is?
   Even black Members from distinct regions might interpret greetings differently because of the particular connotations they carry within their own black community.
   3. Black people have taken English and edited it in a way that fits and accommodates their desire to communicate with other members of their own community. I think AAVE is not legitimized not necessarily because of linguistic factors, but because of race. It is clear that in ‘standard’ English and academia, AAVE is frowned upon and delegitimized, however, outside of that, in any social context, AAVE continues to be seen as linguistically incorrect. This becomes an issue of race rather than just linguistic discrimination. Unfortunately, speech, and AAVE, carries social connotations that continue to affect how African Americans in the US are viewed. AAVE has certain social factors that are embedded in their speech and continue to influence how they are seen by members of the out-siding communities. Because black people continue to be oppressed and experience racism and racist micro aggressions, the people who do so will continue to view AAVE as something that is incorrect and not valid.

   4. Ebonics is a linguistic term that defines the language African Americans created for communication descending to slaves in the Caribbean, Africa, and eventually North America. Ebonics is regarded as its own language rather than as a dialect of ‘Standard’ English.

   5. AAVE is much like ‘Puerto Rican Spanish’ because of how it defines Puerto Ricans both culturally and linguistically for members of both the outside community as well as inside community. ‘Puerto Rican Spanish’ continues to be frowned upon both in Academic as well as non-formal social contexts. PRS is phonologically distinct and therefor people assume it is incorrect. I’ve had situations in classes where classmates have verbally insinuated PPS or my personal repertoire or manner of articulation for particular sounds is “wrong”. People fail to realize all dialects and non-standard speech are normal and should be legitimized because it has been created by members of a community in order to communicate and that’s what language is about in the first place.

   In addition to ‘Talking Black in American’ I have provided several linguistic artifacts related to AAVE.
   https://books.google.com.pr/books?hl=en&lr=&id=QRFIsGWZ5O4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA39&dq=african+american+vernacular+english&ots=oS1DrErFtQ&sig=wXBjTbvbCeuExqhGa3LKAsa6jQ8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=african%20american%20vernacular%20english&f=false

   https://books.google.com.pr/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MST2I-1s9KoC&oi=fnd&pg=PA110&dq=african+american+vernacular+english&ots=-UZ-JRBQFQ&sig=vvMeh9ecNwX9vHtkyYIeoi1XcyE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=african%20american%20vernacular%20english&f=false

   Both these books contribute to the study of AAVE how they co-exist in environments of ‘Standardized’ languages. AAVE is Non Standard English with Mistakes by Geoffrey K. Pullum focuses on a particular situation in Oakland where the school board suggested AAVE should have their own rules and structures and how outside communities delegitimized and ridiculed this. It continued to focus on the grammatical and historical influences that make up AAVE ad well as provide examples such as negative inversion/concord in speech. Co-existent systems in AAVE by William Labov focuses on the interpretation of AAVE speech and the problems it faces during co-existing with other ‘Standard’ languages/dialects. Labov focuses on the uses, meanings, and social contexts of the AAVE community and speech. Both readings study AAVE and abide for their legitimization in contrast to “Standard” language communities. Labov’s chapter focuses on the grammar behind AAVE as well as its evolution based on historical context of creole and how it came to be an entire separate system. Pullum’s chapter strives to define what AAVE is as well as abide by the fact there is nothing inherently wrong with is as a language. “But anyone who thinks that AAVE users are merely speaking Standard English but making mistakes is wrong. They can try to make the case that speakers of AAVE are bad or stupid or nasty or racially inferior if they want to, but they will need arguments that depend on language, because linguistic study of AAVE makes one thing quite clear: AAVE is not Standard English with mistakes (Pullum,1999).”

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4. Talking Black in America presents the linguistic double bind that African Americans have faced for years. Keeping their linguistic variation, their form of speech, would mean to proudly display their identity and pay tribute to their heritage and history. This, however, would be at the cost of social, education and economic opportunities. It is close to a no-win situation that forces parents to think about how to educate their children when it comes to language, a process that should be natural and unique. Even though there has been some progress in social justice and comprehension, there is still a toxic environment toward those who does not speak the enforced “standard” English. Following anything but this norm would expose whole families and communities to criticism and discrimination. The African American Language variation have been deemed as a broken language or at the very most a language of some artistic movements such as urban music. Even if prominent artist displays a tremendous ability and repertoire to produce words and rhymes in a matter of seconds, they are still considered just rappers. This reputation has also infiltrated the education system, as the broken variation is considered the “wrong” way of speech and communication. This binary view of good versus bad, and intelligent versus non-intelligent have kept African American in a disadvantage, forcing them to work double to achieve the same goals and code switch to have a fair chance on a privilege society. The consequences of this discrimination and behavior, has been the forced isolation of whole families and communities, as they have moved together to settle in new places in search for a safer environment or better opportunities. The containment of a language variation makes it that much difficult to challenge the authoritarian mindset of the “standard” English or correct way of speech and thus continuing linguistic double bind.
   Even against adversity and double standards, African Americans have continued to thrive with time in an environment which seems built to make them fail. This pride and determination have begun to break the radical ideology walls and has become a symbol of strength among communities all around the country. This positiveness out of adversity has become the meaning of what it is to talk black in America. It means perseverance, authenticity, tradition and respect of culture. As time passed, the containment enforced towards these communities began to crumble and so the isolation of the language variation making non-black people adopt it and forging new repertoires and opportunities to resist the bias standards.

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5. The rich linguistic history in the United States is always impressive and wonderful to study as a linguist. However, it is always hard to see and read about the discriminating ideologies that linguistic minorities, like those who speak African American Language (AAL). I believe I will always find appalling the lack of education and understanding about these varieties. Especially when so many Linguists, from renowned figures in sociolinguistics like Walt Wolfram to Sharese King, have gone out of their way to study and promote AAL as a systematic and rule governed variety of English, thus trying to end the stigma.

   Throughout the film, Talking Black in America, various famous Linguists went out of their way to educate people, not only on how the AAL variety is seen and heard today, but it’s origins. It’s extremely intriguing to have learned how such horrible circumstances, like the abduction of millions of African people to be turned into slaves, created such a unique situation which gave way to the mixing and melding of many West African languages and Southern American English varieties into what we know today as the African American English Vernacular (AAVE). Furthermore, as part of the modern study of AAVE, the analysis Wolfram gives on Martin Luther King Jr. and his use of his preacher background and AAL to enhance his speeches and rhetoric was extremely compelling.
   Moreover, it was quite interesting to see the comparisons and similarities to the situations and the history of the Caribbean and it’s languages with the United States. Even in Puerto Rico we can still see the history of the introduction of African slaves in our language and although it’s a different scenario it was intriguing to learn about how linguistic variations make code switching part of the norm in order to fit the normalized standard of the language. (305 words)

   The Language of Martin Luther King Jr.: https://youtu.be/epoVTTDRzRg

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6. After watching the documentary by Wolf Wolfram called “Talking Black in America” we could see different aspect in language in which black people who live in America have pass by in order to survive and succeed. One of those aspects is the access that the English language provides to this community and how it has to be portrayed in order to be accepted. For instance, some African Americans would use a formal English when it came to interact with Americans either to conclude a task or to obtain a job opportunity. But when it came to communicate with those who were from their same group, they would speak their way of understanding English. Not only language barriers are here but also how their socio-economic levels are basically controlled through language. From my perspective is a way of imposition through the language aspect. At the end, who is the one the person that designates whether or not a language is being used correctly? We also need to understand that generations pass by and certain characteristics of a language may or not surpass. We can see this dynamic in Spanish in Puerto Rico. If we go to Spain, those who live in this country may think that those in Puerto Rico do not speak proper Spanish. But what is proper Spanish at the end? Language is varied that from one location of the world might seem great but for other might seem a disaster.
   Secondly, we encounter racism towards these communities of African American because of their skin color. Apparently, the English language has become so prestige that only the white people can use it. Connecting this second argument to the first one we can infer that African Americans when it came to defend their rights tried to use the speech patterns of Americans to sound pleasing and be listened. An example will be Martin Luther Kings during his speech. When it came to talk to his own people he would reference himself as an African American through changes of the vowel or consonants sounds. On the other hand, when it came to speak in front of a group of Americans he would made changes to his repertoire such as the word “river” goes for “riveh”. I believe this is something common because even in the Spanish aspect happens and we do not acknowledge it. A great research to study would be if every language at some point or in actuality cuts off certain words to pronounce them faster or easier.
   At the end these linguistics features that evolve through time or are erased have a common trait and that is simply imposition to a community through language whether is because of religious, political or physical reasons.

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7. Talking Black in America is a film about this variety of language, specifically English, that has been associated with African American people. Now any language variety associated with an ethnic group or race is open to social stereotypes or prejudices. African American Vernacular English or AAVE (it goes by many names), is a variety linked to black people and because of the history of racism and slavery in the US there are a lot of social factors that influences people’s thouoght on this variety. In regards to society, AAVE is seen as less than or inferior to standard English. AAVE is often linked to lack of education, low socioeconomic class and non-professional. All of these ideologies surrounding AAVE is pure social construct that was created by the dominant population, in this case white people. In linguistics terms there is nothing wrong with AAVE, to linguists it is just another variety of a language out of the many there are. Even within the AAVE variety there are sub varieties depending on geographical location. Not all black people in the US use AAVE or us the same type of AAVE. I felt like I could relate to this because Latino English or any variety of English variety that comes from Spanish speaking communities also has these social constructs linked to them. Even Puerto Rican Spanish is seen as inferior to Spanish from Spain or inside the island people who lateralize are seen as speaking incorrectly because it is not the standard way of Spanish. We as Puerto Ricans and as a minority in the US have experienced the negative ways in which our variety of English is viewed and criticized by standard English speakers. None of these language varieties are wrong but because it is different and because they belong to the minorities the dominant population creates ideologies based on discrimination and misconceptions about language.

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8. The accent, slang and particular features of a person’s repertoire are signs of his/her background, age, origin and beliefs. Through the local ways of discourse people can show who they are and how they see the world. “Talking black” for African Americans, is an important trait of their identity. Who they are as a community, in a multicultural country as United States, is greatly determined by the way they speak.
   As a variation of what is known as “standard English”, African American English, also known as “ebonic”, has dealt with stigmas.
   Third person singular -s is omitted.
   She like my brother.
   “There” is replaced by it
   It ain’t no football pitch at school.
   The genitive is not necessarily marked with /s/
   I drove my brother car.

   Although the previous structures are “deviations” from what is established by the standard, they are patterns followed by the vernacular, that show it also has a specific order and principles, just like the standard language.
   Jamila Lyscott, an African American Scholar, treats in her essay “broken English”, how English spoken by African American people has been criticized and delegitimized. In her essay, she expresses the frustration about the erroneous classification of her dialect. According to her, the African-American vernacular is an expression of the identity of her people. she says they speak English because their original language was taken from them, so no one has the right to say that they do not speak well a language that has been forced upon them. she concludes that English in a multifaceted and diverse language, spoken by many people, a language full of variations, which no one can categorize as erroneous, since all have a sociocultural content that makes them valid.

   Something similar happens with English spoken by Latinos. It is very common for minorities to be lagged and stigmatized, since they do not follow the pre-established norms. Latinos who emigrate often face the challenge of language, because they must speak “good” English if they want to be incorporated into American society. In many cases, in addition to adopting the new language, they must depart from their own. It is a sad reality, the discrimination faced by Latinos who speak Spanish and the racist attacks that have arisen. Latinos in the United States today face a struggle to maintain their identity and at the same time be integrated into a society that requires them to assimilate its culture.

   The main purpose of languages is communication. Each person shapes that communication according to the experiences, learnings and visions of the world. Every way of speaking is valid, because they are expressions of human identities.

   The following is the link of a TED talk by Jamila Lyiscott, in which he explains some aspects of her essay.

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9. During the video I can observe how black speech is considered for many people in united states as a different language, American people most of the time think that because you are black you should speak “black English” referring to African American English and that all of the black people speak with the same style. People also add body language while a black person is speaking, those are misconceptions that stigmatize a population.
   In terms of language use, people in the United States created a false reputation of African American English, referring to it as not having a grammatical structure, and do not see it as a variation of the language, I remember a woman in the video who said referring to African American English as “ a different English” and in fact it is.
   During the video and in the Exclusion chapter the linguistic Wolfram adds: “People have the impression that African American English is nothing more than a collection of errors because that’s how they’ve been socialized; if it’s not standard, it’s wrong. So, we have this framework that all of us have been indoctrinated into that there is a right and a wrong in language.” (Language, 2016)
   As the previous quote established, we were programmed by schools that there is a “proper” way of speaking a language, but who and why decides to what “proper” is.
   What this video made me realize is that most of the time we judge peoples way of speak, in the case of Colombia, Pastusos are very misunderstood since they speak slowly and they pronounce words differently, but we did not realize that all the languages have a variation and even if in Spanish we have “La Real Academia de Lengua Española” this does not mean, that because it is established that according to them Spanish should be spoken in this way, all the variation that a language has is not acceptable and must be judge

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10. The study of African American English (AAE) is one that can be approached from multiple perspectives. The film, Talking Black in America (TBiA), attempts and succeeds in showing viewers the different views and attitudes towards this dialect and its study. After viewing the movie, some major takeaways I got from it were that: (1) there are multiple ways of speaking AAE with its own nuances depending on the variety; (2) speakers of AAE shift their speech style between AAE to a more standardized English depending on the circumstance in which they find themselves, and this behavior stems from an ideology of correctness; (3) there is debate among linguists regarding the origin of AAE but most seem to believe that it came from a Gullah-like creole; (4) AAE has become equated with cultural or ethnic identity.

    It is very easy to think that AAE is universal. To non-speakers of AAE, all forms of the dialect sound similar. TBiA shared the experiences of different African Americans when trying to communicate with other African Americans from other regions in the USA. Differences spanned from lexical to phonetical, and some interviewees mentioned events where they would find themselves in situations in which they would need to explain themselves to other AAE speakers and find equivalent regional expressions. Curiously enough, non-verbal communicative gestures were found to be shared among communities.

    Although speakers of AAE feel pride in their dialect, they acknowledge language gives you access and gatekeeping tendencies in US society look down upon AAE use as uneducated and cluttered with errors. Linguist research has shown that this assumption is not the case and AAE is systematic (a prime example being the occurrence of habitual “be” to express a recurring action, like “she be going to the gym every Sunday,” but it should not be confused with a progressive verb tense). Yet, due to negative ideologies that label the use of AAE negatively, speakers opt to code-switch to a more standard English dialect to be able to access more opportunities. Being constantly bombarded ever since childhood with the idea that their way of communication is wrong, AAE speakers partake in code-switching as a means to survival, but they always see AAE as the language of home.

    Unlike other ethnic groups that have immigrated to America, the particular circumstances in which African American’s ancestors arrived at the states has a great impact and serves to explain how AAE came to be. African slaves were denied learning how to read or write and had to acquire English from the indirect input they received from their surroundings. In addition, they lacked stability by often being sold among slaveowners which also had different dialects of English. Inevitably African slaves developed creole similar to Gullah, a predecessor to AAE. AAE attributes were further solidified within communities in the north after the Great Migration because African Americans were segregated to be in designated communities.

    This rich history behind AAE created a strong sense of identity of African American communities. It defines the interactions in social and religious circles. As mentioned before, African Americans pride themselves in their language. AAE has become a means to empowerment and is central to Black culture. In addition, AAE has come to be valued in pop culture through hip hop to the extent that some subcultures in white communities have begun to imitate the vernacular. Although some measures need to be taken for AAE to lose negative stigma in the US, across time some advances have been made to accept the legitimacy of this dialect. (Word Count: 590 Words)

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11. Reflexion by Isis Fortys Delestre:

    In this documentary the researchers talk about a very well known English dialect in the United States which is African American Vernacular English or AAVE. A few things that they talk about is language ideologies and standard English. We can start with when Walt Wolfram states, “People have the impression that African American English is nothing more than a collection of errors because that’s how they’ve been socialized; if it’s not standard, it’s wrong” (2016). Then again The United States does not have an language academy that would dictate what standard English is. However in Spanish we do have a language academy called “La Real Academia Española”. And if we go by that structure of what a language academy is then what they prefer that language standardization is for language to be proper, correct and good. And as Wolfram stated before people have an impression that AAVE is a collection of errors. In view with AAVE being considered that way plays with people’s perception that the people who use that dialect are uneducated and end up being discriminated. Furthermore in the film Tracey Weldon says, “A lot of times people assume that there is some linguistic basis for the stigma against a variety and they’re not aware that it really is about the people.” Because of that linguistic discrimination could range from racism and classism. Being the case as Tracey Weldon said it is about the people and not much about the language. These topics could be seen with dialects here in Puerto Rico. An example could be like how Puerto Rican Spanish is frowned upon many spanish speaking countries because we do not use the standardized version of the language. Other reflections talk a little more in depth of this but what they do not talk about how if we use the Puerto Rican Spanish in European countries we would be discriminated in a similar way as African American Vernacular English. (322 words)

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12. Watching Talking Black in America was a reminder of my time lived in the United States. I had lived a year in New Jersey and six in Texas. Especially in NJ, there was a large exposure to “Black Talk” since we lived in public housing located near ghettos. Therefore, I already knew, at the young age 6, that there were different types of ways to greet each other. Greetings such as Sup Fam, What up, What up Blood and Hey Shorty were ways in which people from the same community would greet each other. I believe that every social group has there own way of greeting people who belong to that group. For example, in Puerto Rico, if we are meeting up with a good friend one way to greet each other is by saying “Cabron, como estas”? Because we know each other and have a strong bond, this is not an insult but rather a way of letting each other know that we are close enough to greet each other this way and not be offensive. Similarly, I had the privilege of going to Mexico City for a friend’s wedding recently. A word that I constantly heard was “carnal” as each respective member greeted each other. They told me that they use the word to mean “bro” or “brother”. During the first days, I was not greeted with these words, however, as the day progressed and I spent more time with them I was finally part of the group and was called Carnal by the time I left.
    For me, the most impactful moment was when they took teachers’ perspectives when correcting the way they talk. Sabrina Moore, teacher, made one of the most important comments of the entire documentary by saying that when we correct them for not speaking “standard Englih we are insulting their parents and ancestors. Insulting their parents and ancestors, I asked myself. She continued to explain that because the way these kids spoke was because this is how they talked in the household and how their parents learned it from their parents. Therefore, if we tell them that that is not the way to speak we are telling them that your mother doesn’t know how to speak as well because that is who you got it from. This just show the sensitivity that educators need to be aware of when we correct students’ language.

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13. The film “Talking Black in America” displays the complexities, variety, and beauty of a part of the English language that many people may view in a negative light. African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, which is spoken by millions of people, is a huge part of language within the United States and some Caribbean islands. Its roots trace back to the colonial period, during which human beings were transported from the African continent and forcefully transported to the New World, where they were sold into slavery. After they reached the new shores which they would have to call their home, the language they used to communicate amongst themselves became altered, employing syntactical forms and vocabulary from whichever native tongues belonged to that specific group of people; this continued for many years, creating what we know now as AAVE. Though this is not a language per se, this is a valid form of communication. Much like other language forms, AAVE is used to communicate, and the meaning of communication is to understand a given message; people speaking AAVE employ the use of certain rhythmic patterns, sounds, cadence and beats to communicate with other people, typically with people they are close to, or people they trust. There is the possibility to code-switch between standard English and AAVE, as was mentioned during the film –one person mentioned that they speak standard English with certain groups of people, but they switch to AAVE when speaking to family and close friends. Much like English spoken in the USA, Australia, and Great Britain has its differences –different vocabulary use, for example– AAVE has its regionalities. A common greeting such as “hello” can be said in many ways in AAVE, and according to the region where it is spoken, the same work may have a vastly different meaning. An example is used in the film, where one man wishes to greet people in his town, and he does so by saying “What’s up?”. This man continues saying that if he were to use that same expression in New York, he may be met with animosity or antagonism, because that very phrase has a rude connotation in New York. The use of AAVE in the classroom may be beneficial to teachers, as this may allow them to reach out to their students and connect with them on a more personal level, and to dispel the stereotype that it is “unprofessional” or “a sign of low education” to speak in any way other than standard English. AAVE is a highly interesting dialect which has been a staple of language for many families for hundreds of years, and it is a completely valid method of communication which I hope to learn more about.

    (Word count: 453)
    Saturday, October 26th, 2019, 10:41 pm.

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14. Within the first five minutes of the documentary “Talking Black in America,” I identified a connection to my research interests. The people portrayed in the video question being told that they do not sound Black or African American. They inquire on what it means to sound that way. Similarly, for my thesis, some of the questions asked in my focus group interviews are aimed at answering that very same question but in our context: what does it mean to sound Puerto Rican? What constitutes Puerto Rican Spanish/English? I was interested in seeing how the question was answered in the documentary, and how their responses might compare or contrast to ours. The answer was essentially that AAVE is a construct that shares some general linguistic features and differs in others because of various reasons.

    One of the reasons for variety in speech is access. Just like in Puerto Rico, the features of an individual’s common speech will be determined by the way they learned it, where, and with whom, among other factors. Once an individual has acquired these features, Standard or not, ‘code-switching’ might occur, and it might be “below the level of conscious awareness,” as stated on the documentary by Tracey Weldon. Individuals start adapting to their context, or in other words, employing linguistic features depending on their situation, cultural codes, and audience to ‘belong,’ to ‘gain access,’ or to avoid being marginalized. This does not mean that their identity is less authentic than their counterparts who speak only the vernacular.

    In fact, as stated in the documentary, people being told they do not sound Black may be taken as an insult. Perhaps the people who make these statements think they are giving the person a compliment, because they see AAVE as a “system of errors” (Walt Wolfram) and they think there is a “linguistic basis for the stigma” (Tracey Weldon). However, the reaction is the opposite, as individuals can identify classism and racism veiled with ‘good intentions.’ Comparably, people who are told they do not sound Puerto Rican may be offended or confused by such a statement. The reason behind this adverse feeling towards this type of statement may be that stigmatized individuals are able to identify classifying or labeling varieties of language as a power play.

    People who think they can decide how a certain group sounds are usually in favorable circumstances in comparison to the stigmatized groups. In a colonized area like Puerto Rico, this type of statement may be taken as denying someone their roots, thus taking away their identity. It carries an assumption that the variety used by the more powerful/dominant ‘authority’ is correct, needing no signifier to describe it (For example, ‘English’ instead of ‘African American English’ or ‘Puerto Rican English’), while the varieties mentioned above are considered flawed and ‘marked’ enough to be labeled a certain way. It describes varieties, like Gullah, as ‘broken’, but as stated on the documentary, the question remains: “broken to who?” (Dye Scott-Rhodan).

    Overall, as portrayed on the Ebonics case, there are still misconceptions regarding language varieties and how labels applied to a group may or may not apply to the members of it. Individuals often attempt to compartmentalize society, but we must be wary of how labels may reproduce ideologies based on racial stigma. Rather than viewing AAVE as a rule-less system, this documentary portrays how slavery and linguistic isolation contributed to a systematic use of language that is legitimate and authentic. In the words of Keith Cross, AAVE represents “what we did with what we had, and that is not just sufficient; it is more than enough.”
    (Word count: 601)

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