#whyisign 

ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT
#whyisign… it’s because of my family. My mother is Deaf and my father is hearing. Many family members on my mother’s side are Deaf. My father's family is hearing. I have four brothers and two sisters. Three of them are hard-of-hearing and four of us are Deaf. When I was born, as soon as they found out I was Deaf, the doctor encouraged my mother to have me undergo cochlear implant surgery. My mother told him that since I had a Deaf family and would have access to sign language I didn’t need a cochlear implant. The doctor was furious and wrote a letter to the executive board of the hospital. The doctor made a copy of the letter and sent it to my mother. In the letter, he told the board he wanted to call their attention to the fact that one of the patients at their hospital decidedly denied his own son access to language. My mother knew that her doctor was wrong. She knew that she would make sure that I’d have access to language by using sign language with me. I was indeed lucky to have a mother who knew what was best for Deaf children. A few years later, my parents decided to sell their business, farm, and house, and move closer to a Deaf school so that I might attend school there while still living at home with my family. My father’s family was furious because my father’s business was a huge success and my family’s property was too good to lose. HIs family confronted my father and told him that it was ridiculous to invest in my education because Deaf children are incapable of learning and can’t go to college. My father had always known about oppression against Deaf people, but it didn’t hit him until his own family oppressed against his own son. My father was indignant and, as a result, he was even more determined to sell his business, house, and farm, and move away. Ever since my father’s family disowns him and my family. We rarely see them. I’m grateful that my father was willing to sacrifice not only his business and property but also his own family for the sake of my education. By the time I was in kindergarten at the deaf school, I signed better than most teachers there. Why was it the case? That school relied on the Total Communication method, having teachers to sign and speak simultaneously with Deaf students. Because of that, there weren’t many Deaf teachers and hearing teachers couldn’t sign well. My mother, knowing that it was not right, decided to lead the Deaf community to protest against the school. For one week, we marched around the school with protest signs. Even though we protested for a long time, we were unable to achieve our goal. Refusing to give up, my parents decided to move to another state and send my Deaf siblings and me to the Deaf school there. That school has a bi-lingual and bi-cultural program. Yes, my parents did it all over-selling their business and house, and moving out of town. The new Deaf school was much better. There were many Deaf teachers and everyone signed all the time. They also placed a significant emphasis on developing English literacy skills. As a result, I flourished in school. I’m truly grateful that my parents were willing to make many sacrifices in order to ensure that I have a good education growing up. I remember one time I saw my mother talking with a hearing mother who had a Deaf daughter, giving her advices on how to raise a Deaf child. I caught my mother telling her, “Your Deaf daughter has only one childhood. For now, focus on raising your daughter and when your daughter has grown up you will have the opportunity to focus on your own life.” That statement hit me hard- every Deaf child has only one childhood. Now I know why my parents made all those sacrifices for me. As a result, they now can settle down and be content knowing that they had done all they could do to make sure I have a wonderful life as a Deaf person. I'm indebted to them.