Soy de Mexico. Soy madre soltera. Tengo un hijo de 18 anos. Su nombre es Joey. El es sordo.
I am from Mexico. I am a single mother. I have a 18 year old son. His name is Joey. He is deaf.
Joey was born one month before DPN. DPN taught me it is ok. Es aceptable tener un hijo sordo. It is ok to have a deaf son. I learned deafness. Aprendí ser una buena madre. I learned to be a good mother.
I raised Joey. I am proud. He has three languages. ASL, Español and English. He is a National Merit Semifinalist. He was accepted to every college. Joey is social. He has hearing amigos. He grew up with them. They sign. He meets with Deaf amigos too. But not often. I do not know why.
I wash Joey’s laundry. I find Gallaudet papers. I see an Internet Explorer bookmark. Gallaudet.edu. Sé utilizar una computadora. I know how to use a computer.
Pregunto a Joey acerca de la Universidad de Gallaudet. I ask about Gallaudet.
Joey nods. Sus ojos dan un resplandor. His eyes glow. He wants a good educación. But Joey wants to play football with Deaf amigos. He wants to date Deaf girls without struggle.
Mama, yo quiero jugar al futbol con amigos sordos. Seria muy bueno si pudiera estar con una nina or mujer y tener una conversaccion libre sin tener que estarle diciendo “que?” mil veces. Tu me entiendes, Mama?
Mama, I want to kick a football with Deaf friends. It would be really cool if I could be with a Deaf girl and have a free-flowing conversation without having to say “what?” a thousand times. Do you understand, Mama?
Él desea ser parte del mundo sordo. He wants to be part of a Deaf world.
Pasado manana Joey, su abuela y yo conduciermos a Washington, DC.We meet people. We learn a Latino student club is there. Joey sees Deaf students with i-Pods. He sees students play sports. Él sabe que él no está solo. He knows he is not alone.
Miramos fotografías el edificio de arte. They were made by two Deaf women a long time ago. There is other Deaf art.
Haré la cerámica para ti.
Joey says he will make pottery for me.
There are many tents. Algunos estan enojados con el nuevo presidente en Gallaudet. We hear about a sign.
“Ella no saluda.”
Grandma disappears. She comes back. Ella habló con un profesor. They used paper and pen. The message:
We will take very great care of students. If he is as smart as you have mentioned he will be appreciate of the honors program for our very brightest students.
Joey translates,
Nos important nuestros estudiantes, si es inteligente y se esfuerza estara en nuestro programa de honores para estudiantes brilliantes.
But Joey says the professor has bad English.
Nosotros monitoreamos las clases. Álgebra and biología. Vemos una clase con los intérpretes.
Anuncios on hall walls. Thailand sign language. Gallaudet Dancers. We would like Much Ado about Nothing. It is Shakespeare sordo.
We are surprised there is Departamento de la Historia Deaf. There is Centro Hearing and Speech. I do not like the implante coclear. But I know Joey wants to know more.
Visitamos un dormitorio. We watch a Deaf advisor residente. He speaks with everyone. Everyone is signing.
“¿Tienes comida mexicano?” The cafeteria worker says, “Sí.”
Estoy contento. I am pleased.
Continuamos walking. Joey signs with Deaf people. Girls.
Grandma and I find a bench. We sit. We pretend we are not watching. Comunicación es muy fácil para Joey. Communication is easy. Joey es feliz. He looks happy.
We go home. We are in the car. I ask what he thinks.
I sign,
Joey. Que estas pensando al respecto?
Joey signs,
Cada perico a su estaca, cada changa a su mecate.
Each parrot on its perch, each monkey on its rope - To each his own.
He watches me.
He cries,
Gracias, Mama. Es como el niño de la burbuja, que nunca se llegó a adaptarse. No quisiera estar atrapado. Me esforzaré mas. Será mi triunfo y gloria personal.
Thank you, Mama. It’s like the boy in the bubble who could never adapt. I don’t want to be trapped. I will work twice as hard. It will be my personal triumph and glory.
Joey irá a la Universidad de Georgetown en Septiembre.
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What a post!! Thanks for sharing.
WOW! Sad but WOW!
Wow, what a great post! I would’ve gone to Gallaudet if not for the poor quality of the undergraduate education.
I don’t think the story was really about whether Joey decided on Gallaudet- he marches to his own beat and his mother supports him no matter what. It was just beautifully written and I loved every word of it. Still, I can see how many would misinterpret the author’s intention. Although she does echo what many outsiders (and even some students) seem to think, that the education at Gallaudet is really abysmal.
the education i got from gally was not the academic portion - it was the networking, the organizations, jobs that I had during my years which really taught me. Gallaudet is what people make of it.
And to echo jt - the above essay was really well written and shows the emotion involved in that major decision making process.
Isn’t Gallaudet supposed to be an institution of higher education and not your local community center or playground? Perhaps Joey understood that while he could have a social life at Gally, it would defeat the real purpose of his going to school?
The entire piece gave me goosebumps. But the biggest goosebump was this line
Great factual literary piece. And I absolutely loved the English/Spanish translation aspect. Makes me wanna meet Joey. :) And, congratulations on making a decision. Gallaudet\’s only a stone\’s throw from Georgetown. Come anytime.
My favorite line is, “Será mi triunfo y gloria personal”. It is sexy, isn’t it? ;)
Interesting post -how did it get into DeafDC’s hands? Just being curious here :)
Cada perico a su manera de matar pulgas.
translates to
Each perico to its way to kill fleas.
on Google…guess it is a Spanish idiom
very beautifully written. i loved the alternating use of spanish and english. muchas gracias.
FYI, the translation of the blog entry’s title, “Ser, o no ser, estas es la pregunta” is Shakespeare’s,
Powerful. I have many more thoughts and will share those later.
Any way Juanita could respond to this? I made the translation as well and was wondering how to apply it. The larger context of that Shakespearean quote is one person’s contemplation of suicide, and so I’m afraid I just might be overanalyzing the title. Going to Gallaudet = ?
Fascinating post, in any case.
Did anybody note the “boy in the bubble” line? That really said everything.
How so, JT?
Anyone remember the Bubble Boy episode of Seinfeld? For some reason, I think that’s very apt here. Its the Mooks!
Never thought about the suicide angle, Glenn. Is it possible the author meant to suggest… Going to Gallaudet = Career Suicide?
That’s the gist of post #11048.
Exactamendo.
This just reminded me of a great line by Shakespeare (from Hamlet, I think). “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
I loved reading this! The alternating between spanish and english, only makes me wish I could understand spanish. I’m glad Joey made his own choice, and you were just there to support him the entire way.
The mother differentiates between deaf and Deaf throughout. She refers to her son as being deaf and clearly recognizes the importance of being culturally Deaf. And it seems she made choices in Joey’s life that include ASL and mainstreaming. And it seems to be Joey’s choice to not interact as much with his deaf peers while growing up.
“…meets with deaf amigos. But not often. I do not know why.”
Does this demonstrate her support of his interaction with deaf peers. However, Joey seems to be discontent with his deaf friends. Were there intellectual/social gaps? Or were they just far away?
Also, the mother has known about Gallaudet/DPN since Joey’s birth. But she doesn’t discuss the school until she discovers the Gallaudet brochures and bookmarked website. Why? Also, why was Joey hesitant to talk about Gallaudet or his feelings? Was he afraid?
Despite being afraid, the mother reacts very positively and immediately brings him to Gallaudet. Whew.
“… I do not like the implante coclear. But I know Joey wants to know more.”
I like how mother is able to resolve her fears of the unkwown of the Deaf world by having complete faith in her son. Its a theme that I am sure that resonates with many hearing parents with deaf children. Sometimes we (Deaf) get caught up into our own world, and our parents don’t always understand it, but they know we are better off for it.
One last comment. Did anyone else notice there is rhyme and meter?
YES! But the author made it seem so effortless.
Was thinking more about the title. In a smaller context, could it mean, “to be Deaf or not to be Deaf…”
(notice the big D).
“I will work twice as hard…” That line—a few thoughts come to mind.
1) His mother clearly speaks Spanish as her first language. He’s the son of a single parent and an immigrant in a country that has a fast growing Hispanic population.
2) Job prospects for Hispanics aren’t the greatest. Plus he’s deaf. That’s double whammy.
3) Mexico is a patriarchal society. The men have this role to be hardworkers, responsible, and resilient. It’s possible that Joey embodies this sense of responsibility.
So…thinking here, “I have the brains. I have the capabilities to succeed in an Ivy-Leaguesque setting. I wanna break the cycle of language barrier, oppression, and economic unsustainability.” The decision between I wanna be deaf and just be or I wanna be in an environment where my intelligence will be cultivated by other bright students and brilliant professors from all over the world and just be is tough.
I remember dealing w/ this exact same dilemma in high school on colleges. But, I didn’t have the added dimension of being a person of color or being the first-generation American.
THAT gives this whole thing a different spin, me thinks.
I wonder if the protest had anything to do with his decision.
I’m simultaneously proud to have a deaf student going to Georgetown and sad for Gallaudet. ALL of us deaf people benefit when Gallaudet thrives.
Well, for one, Gallaudet should have professors with good English skills.
In any case, your comment, “All of us deaf people benefit when Gallaudet thrives” indicates the bubble-boy mentality he’s referring to here. Gallaudet is not the be-all, end-all for the deaf world, as much as we would like it to be….
You have to admit, he’s opening himself to far more opportunities by attending Georgetown University rather than Gallaudet.
“Gallaudet is not the be-all, end-all for the deaf world, as much as we would like it to be.”
I did not say that. I simply said that when Gallaudet thrives, all deaf people benefit directly or indirectly. It’s one of the few national institutions we have, and one of the few major institutions that serves deaf people around the world.
That is not saying it’s the be-all and end-all. You can love Gallaudet while also loving the broader world — it does not have to be either/or.
The feeling is mutual, but come to think of it, given his positive attitude and view of being deaf,
he has a lot to offer to the deaf community
after he graduates from Georgetown. He did
consider Gallaudet, which should count for something. Maybe he didn’t realize the constorium program Gallaudet makes available for students
like him.
Based on the reading, he doesn’t appear to
be someone who’ll turn his back on the deaf
community. Besides, in no time, he’ll discover
there is a lot of deaf people like him, intellectually wise.
I’m surprised that no one has brought up “Ella no saluda.” Does anyone even understand it? It translates to “She doesn’t say hi.”
The way Juanita writes this succinct paragraph is telling. Not only are Juanita and Joey appalled, they are confused and left thinking that this is a university that has to get its act together. While I support the need for dialogue, this needs to be said:
Shame on Gallaudet for not keeping these sensitive discussions behind closed doors. I pray that prospective students aren’t going elsewhere as a result.
I was mainstreamed from kindergarten through college. But when I first set foot on the Gallaudet campus, I fell completely in love because it had 100% communication access. For the first time in my life, my social life was fabulous because I was interacting with bright, educated deaf people. I never regretted my decision to go to grad school at Gallaudet. It was some of the best 2 years of my life. I wonder if part of the reason Joey does not socialize much with deaf peers is because he does not have any? It’s revealing that Joey wants to date deaf girls because there would be no communication barrier.
Joey’s choice of university might depend on what he wanted to major in, and where he expected to work after graduation. However, many undergraduates from Gallaudet have gone on to be successful in businesses in the hearing world. When I was in college, I thought the first two years of general education requirements were a bore, but I got through them. Junior and senior years taking my major courses were a lot more meaningful and relevant to my interests.
Just a thought here: when I’m writing English to someone who speaks Spanish, I tend to simplify my syntax to make it easier to translate.
Loved the mix of Spanish and English! It resonated with my family which is a mixture of Spanish and English and with me personally because I too left Gallaudet to go to a hearing university for wider opportunities and challenges; also to escape the paternalism that ruled with a heavy hand in those days.
You go, girl! Vaya a Dios, mamacita!
I was thinking… I know many of those posting here have stories similar to Joey’s save for the Mexican backstory, so similar that they’ve become DOA. If anything, it’s made the credit due to Juanita all the bigger. She wrote it fresh and nuanced, better than anyone else has in years.
My reaction to the post was similar to many others’. I read it, then a re-read, then went “Wow.” After a while, though, I began to wonder if it was less due to the content and more due to the delivery.
This reminds me of a scene in “Wayne’s World 2” where an old man said something and Wayne 7 Garth looked at the audience and went, “That was awful.” Then they re-did the scene with Charlton Heston standing in for the old man… Heston uttered the very same words, and by god, it was different! No wonder he was Moses…
The point here, I guess, is that writing affects when it’s skillfully done. When all has been said a thousand times already, it then becomes a matter of delivery. But know what happens when you don’t stop thinking? You move on to a tangent, and now I’m wondering about the effect brought about not by the writer but us, the readers. What if we all knew Spanish already, would it be stripped of much of its impact? Was the delivery dependent on the second language being novel?
* How many of us are meaningfully fluent in another language? Would the delivery resonate with you as much if it were written alternatingly in English and that language?
* Would it work if it were done in spoken English and ASL? You know, as in a parent speaking then signing into a camera?
Just wondering. Thanks for indulging.
Glenn, I really like the way you think! :)
I had dinner with a friend last week and we talked about this particular masterpiece. And while we aren’t fluent in Spanish, we’re familiar enough with it to know that it’s a downright sexy language and can often be interpreted “aesthically” and maybe even phonetically for some.
If you’ll notice, in certain passages and particularly with the closing sentence, the author doesn’t offer an English translation. During those instances, the reader is humbled and practically forced to try and decipher the context by doing the “aesthetic/phonetic” translation.
For me personally, the act of being forced to translate and analyze was fun and challenging. This tactic, I thought, was even suggestive of how the mother raised Joey. It was almost as if the mother was whispering, “I will always, always make sure I challenge my son - and push him to every limit.”
Also, a friend who is fluent described the last couple of Spanish paragraphs as “haunting” - and that for those of us who aren’t fluent, we were unfortunate to not be able to sense the holistic impact of this work.
Juanita and Joey both make me want to enroll in Spanish 101 somewhere! Hmm. Gallaudet or Georgetown? :)
You boldfaced “downright” for emphasis. So noted. : )
I gave this additional thought… there are people who employ this device–using another language–to create, or maybe fabricate weight. Like when someone says “Capisce?” No added substance there. Juanita, however, succeeds because there’s absolutely no pretension to her passages in Spanish. That might explain why it came across as haunting and not kitschy. (Nacho Libre, anyone?) And maybe it’s why we feel humbled, not bamboozled.
Gallaudet or Georgetown? Ah, si, esta es la pregunta! Hmm, doesn’t quite work when I do it… : )
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Gracias!