Coda meaning3/1/2023 And you don’t choose to become an interpreter. There’s an expectation for children of deaf adults to be good signers and interpreters from a young age, yet there isn’t any professional training or support. Imagine what it feels like to fail your first interpreting job at 4 years old. But codas face unique pressures too, often associated with language. “We all just treated each other as equals and did whatever it took to communicate and support each other ,” Ku Mei remembers.Ĭhildren of deaf adults view the world through a different lens. But differences in the community didn’t affect the way people treated one another. The Deaf community includes “Deaf plus” individuals, those who are deaf with additional conditions. Growing up in the Deaf community exposed Ku Mei to many types of people, teaching her to build relationships with people different from herself. But Ku Mei believes that understanding what it’s like to be in the minority has been a huge benefit, especially when interacting with others. They’re also exposed to oppression, diversity, and stereotypes much earlier in life than other children. I’ve learned to connect with people individually, not by stereotypes.ĭifferent perspectives aren’t the only thing codas see at a young age. Seeing the impact that culture and language have on others has allowed me to easily communicate with many types of people. This provides insight and understanding to other viewpoints and cultures at a young age. Growing up with two perspectives, children of deaf adults often recognize that people view the world through different lenses. While codas face many stresses, straddling the deaf and hearing worlds provided Ku Mei with a unique way of seeing things. “But the more deaf people I met and the more I understood Deaf culture, the more I realized that the hardships I faced growing up as a coda had nothing to do with my parents and more to do with society’s views on what Deaf people and disabilities in general. “Being a coda can be complicated, and sometimes heavy for a child,” Ku Mei shares. That was the end of the parent-teacher conference.Įven at four years old, Ku Mei’s interpreting abilities reflected on her parents’ capability as deaf individuals raising children. In his mind, my clowning around caused people to think that my parents weren’t capable of raising children. Me funny girl.” I didn’t understand the words “facial expressions” or “responds.” The statement seemed clear: I was funny.įrom my interpretation, my dad believed that I was the class clown. She’s very hands on.”įour-year-old me interpreted this as “Me funny. She is so funny with her facial expressions and the way she responds to things. My dad asked, “How is our daughter doing in school?” My teacher quickly replied, “We love Ku Mei. We didn’t think to bring an interpreter, so I sat across from my parents to sign for them. It was at her first parent-teacher conference. “At four years old I failed my first interpreting job,” says coda Ku Mei Kern. But what is it actually like to grow up with deaf parents? As hearing people deeply entrenched in the Deaf community, children of deaf adults are in a unique situation. A coda (child of a deaf adult) is someone who was raised by one or more deaf parents.
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