From: eph3205@ultb.isc.rit.edu (E.P. Hsu)
Subject: Comments :
Originator: eph3205@ultb
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 11:00:50 GMT

Newsgroups: bit.listserv.deaf-l
Subject: INTRO | Questions : "Hey I'm new to this newsgroup"
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Expires: 
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Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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I just logged in this evening/morning to burn some time before
my midterm at 8 am...   8)  and noticed this newsgroup....
It seems like a very small audience receives/reads it and so
I will follow what I think it standard practice here.

My Bio? 

Name : Eugene Hsu
Address Home
 	: Rochester, NY
School Presently 
	: University of Southern California, LA, CA
Hearing : Yeah I can hear

To simplify things let me explain why I happened to chose to
read this newsgroup.  My father is a professor at the
Rochester Institute of Technology, which many of you know
is attatched in part to the NTID (National Technical Institute
for the Deaf).  For many years I have wanted to learn ASL.  This
summer I was fortunate enough to learn Sign I (of 3 parts of BASIC
*really basic* ASL).  I am not very proficient, but I tried as best
I could (being hearing and therefore out of the loop of most deaf
culture).

I am posting to ask a few things and clarify some points which I 
attempted to bring up in my class, but was never answered with
conviction...

but first : I am in LA now... and I would like to know if there is any
location of choice where deaf people "hang out".  I am really losing
almost all my weak ASL skills and would like someone to practice with/
teach me more.

Comments :  Oralism vs. Pure Sign
	My paper for my class was on this.  All sides of this
	issue has probably already been completed here on this
	newsgroup, so I will make this short.  
I read a few posts concerning children "forced to learn oralism" on
this newsgroup.  It was also interesting to read that the poster
considered it "rude" (I interpreted his comments as such) that his
parents tried that.  Don't forget about the hearing world, please.
I am not looking for flames, but I just wanted to bring about the 
point of the world we are living in.  

When a child is born deaf into the hearing world, the question
seems to be left as "if he could hear what would he be like?"
If the world (as in a story that we saw signed to us in class) was
all deaf, and sign language was the standard method of communication,
the deaf child would not have to worry about such things.  the truth is...
the world is for the most part hearing.  I still believe that members
of the deaf community should be (in addition to being proficient in ASL or
even Pidgin sign) versed in the school of oralism.  When I see a deaf person
I do not see a "handicapped" person, I see a person who is deaf (obviously 8) )
but it always seems that the deaf community would rather be considered as
"handicapped" so they can claim that it's against the law not to provide
them with translators, much in the same way that handicapped access ramps
are required.  I do not see this as a major problem, but it seems like
deaf people stay withing their own "deafness" too much.  Without knowing
how to read lips, or have a translator, or a piece of paper, it's pretty
hard to communicate with a non=signing hearing person.  It's very
very difficult for the deaf person to "fit in" to society.  Sure it
would be nice if everyone in the world knew a standard form of sign
language, but it's not going to happen.

At RIT/NTID it seems as if deaf students prefer to stay withint their own
ranks, especially of note the NTID dorms, etc....  The general
perspective views those of us who hear as outsiders.

As an Asian-American I can see similaraties to my culture as well.  Many
foreigners come to the United States and don't bother to learn to language
(english) which is the majority language and decide rather to stay where
they don't need to learn english (Little Tokyo, Chinatown, LA (Mexicans),
etc....)  They are out of the loops and by that action are taken as outsiders

Well now I need to go and study some more.......

but also : Anyone see the MTV video for Sinead O'Connor's "I am Not
Your Girl" ?  

I watched it (it contains sign language) but only recognized about 10% of the
signs (hey I'm still new).  Expressionless signing with powerful singing...
rather bizarre.  my question is... "was that ASL or a british version of
sign language?"  It just looked different....  and if so ... is the british
version a derivative of the French schools of signing?

=Eugene Hsu-

please refer to 
eugenehs@aludra.usc.edu

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