The Relationship Between Language and Culture: Evidence From the Deaf Bi-Bi Community

Abstract

Language helps establish cultural identification and social ties within a community. Like most cultural groups, language and culture are tightly interwoven in the Deaf1bilingual-bicultural (Bi-Bi) community. The social intimacy resulting from the shared use of American Sign Language (ASL) makes the Deaf Bi-Bi community unique from the mainstream hearing world. As our society grows increasingly diverse, it is very important to understand the intricate relationship between language and and how it supports identity formation and enhances social participation among a particular group of people. Specifically, this article will focus on cases illustrating potential consequences of a language loss. The social and cultural experiences of two Cantonese-ASL-English-speaking adolescent siblings will be discussed and understood through an in-depth interview. Finally, clinical implications for the role of clinicians in supporting Deaf families in the healthcare system will be discussed.