The way that language is described as a tool for discrimination in Barrett’s English With An Accent reminds me of how culture was utilized in a similar way to cover up racism. When language is used as a way to discriminate against others, those who are able to speak “standard English” act “as role models for others to follow”, while those who are not able to are vilified (Barret, 74). Culture was used in the same way to pit Asians and African Americans against each other. People used to attribute Asian immigrants' success to their cultural values (hard work and family values), while blaming African Americans for causing their own societal issues. By attributing success and failures on a group’s cultural values, people are able to ignore the actual cause: systemic racism. Furthermore, by pitting the two groups against each other, they could keep both groups in their place.
However, "[s]ociety has begun to recognize the value of having multiple perspectives provided by a diverse set of voices with distinct cultural backgrounds”, so language is now used as that discriminative tool (Barrett, 71). I believe language is an even more insidious tool as many people believe that language is something that could be changed and ”standard English” speakers have a “right and duty to ensure that others know and use "proper" grammar” (Barrett, 67). Even I have fallen into that trap of believing there is a standard English that needs to be taught for the good of the students. Now, I question who has the right to dictate what is “standard English” when there is no standard English in the first place. Further, even if there was a standard language, how people in power judge if someone is speaking proper English is based on their race, gender, etc, which means the goal of learning standard English is unachievable for most groups of people.
This standard language ideology has a drastic impact on our students. Not only does it often cause teachers to look at students, it also impacts the student’s own self perception. Through the constant reinforcement of the belief at home and in the school system, African American students often have internalized “Anti Black Linguistic Racism” which causes them to “despis[e] their mother tongue” and “see themselves through a white gaze” (Baker-Bell, 21). Similarly, in my experience, this internalized self hatred and racism can lead to many children of immigrants to lose their mother tongue in order to assimilate faster, as it seems like the only thing that they are able to “change”. Thankfully, Baker-Bell’s Antiracist Black Language Education and Pedagogy is a great way to dismantle the ideas behind Anti Black Linguistic Racism and I wonder how it can be applied to other groups specifically or in general. Although I know some schools are opting for more language inclusive pedagogies as shown in the videos about the NYC school system, it has not been adopted by most schools.