Date Awarded
2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
American Studies
Advisor
Grey Gundaker
Committee Member
Charles McGovern
Committee Member
Jamal Donnor
Abstract
The question “Are you Black first, or Deaf first?” is worth exploring for a variety of reasons; the most basic of which is that it is often asked of Black Deaf people. Black Deaf overwhelmingly report that the questioners in these situations are white Deaf. The question “Are you Black first or Deaf first?” asks Black Deaf individuals to justify their Deafness because of their Blackness--implying that both categories demand exclusive cultural loyalty and that they cannot overlap. This categorization is interesting because Black Deaf, and only Black Deaf, are grouped in this manner. This thesis sets out to contextualize the question “Are you Black first, or Deaf first?” and finds that this question is the result of the combination of binary thinking, boundary-policing, and discursive racism.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21220/tfbv-eg50
Rights
© The Author
Recommended Citation
Whitmer, Micayla Ann, "Are You Black First Or Deaf First: Binary Thinking, Boundary-Policing, And Discursive Racism Within The American Deaf Community" (2021). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. William & Mary. Paper 1638386757.
https://doi.org/10.21220/tfbv-eg50
