The Universal Truth Of Language

From one conflicted teenager to others who have been conformed to social norms.

Priya Panchariya 10/11/21

Culture and language heavily intertwine and compliment one another. Just like mankind, these non material aspects of life evolve and transform over time. As a teenager growing up in Wisconsin with an immigrant family in America, I found these ideas hard to grasp. I found it difficult to embrace my culture and my language in a community where it was common. I found it difficult to just say “I’m from India” instead I phrased it in a way where I wouldn’t be considered different. “See I was born in India but I came here when I was 1 so I’m basically American” is what I answered instead to conform to the societal norms of my town. It was an easy escape for a while, a little fib to get by some would say but eventually I realized that culture follows us everywhere it doesn’t fade away with location.
To fellow peers and friends who relate to this shift and struggle with identity, use this as a guidepost to share ideas and realize that you are not alone.

Growing up in America I have been lucky enough to be exposed to numerous cultures and ideas that might be considered taboo in other countries. Being brought up in a country known for its diversity was a positive thing but why is it that it brought along confusion within my personal identity? Why is it that I could not be both American and Indian? Why is it that I found embarrassment when my mother called out to me in the mall in our mother tongue? Shouldn’t we all be embracing the values and traits that make us who we are, or is it not that easy? I am sure these questions have come up for you as well. Sorry to say that the answers are much more transparent than you might think. It is because we gave into the “white” standard of social norms. Feel assured that it isn’t just us or our age, it is all people of color who have at some point in their lives been tackled with the complexities of ethnicity.

The standard of literacy and language in America is English. The difficulty within certain individuals to speak their mother tongue may come from the whom they are surrounded by. It could be easy to speak their native language at home because there is a sense of familiarity around it but outside in a world with a set standard it is hard to find a sense of familiarity. In different environmental settings one can often alter or change their language or way of conversing to fit the group they are with. One of the readings we focused on was June Jordan’s essay, “Nobody Means More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan.” It was published in 1985 in her full book, On Call: Political Essays where Jordan expresses the relationship between language and identity. She illustrates police brutality towards African Americans and rejection of black English within society. Not only does she convey the emotions of African Americans but reaches out to other immigrants or multiracial beings who confine themselves to the comfort of society rather than expressing their true selves.

To some expressions of language may be as easy as pointing out black and white but it is in fact an internal struggle that many people face daily. The conflict between black English and society’s standard of English is how a lot of immigrants vary their methods of communication. I feel that Black English, Indian English, Chinese English and many other forms of English within POCS should be normalized.

The idea of suiting other people’s views of you and your culture comes from stereotypes heard and faced as an ethnically diverse person. Why? For the longest time I did wonder why but it wasn’t until recently that I realized I was giving into what is considered the social norm. Similarly to how Jordan conveys her story and how African Americans change the tone of their voice to suit society but in reality they are cheating themselves. Growing up in an immigrant household one is not often educated on the importance of language and execution of language. Knowing that there are others in the world going through similar issues can help you to understand and change the social norms of society so that no one has to conform to other people’s needs.

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