The Cost of Code Switching | Chandra Arthur | TEDxOrlando

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  • čas přidán 21. 08. 2017
  • Taught from a young age to culturally code switch, Chandra Arthur discusses how learning default conformity in different settings now creates access and opportunity in her adult life as an underrepresented minority (URM) in tech. Chandra Arthur is the founder and CEO of Friendish, a fun, new app designed to help people easily make friends based on shared interests. Her commitment to assisting others in making lasting, quality friendships was born out of a personal need when she returned home from Germany after four years abroad and found it difficult to make new like-minded friends once back in the states. As a second time startup founder, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the startup landscape.
    Chandra is passionate about being a Black woman in tech and hopes that through Friendish, she is able to build and grow a successful, sustainable business and become a role model for young women of color who aspire to careers in tech. Chandra is also a co-founder of B.O.T (Black Orlando Tech), a group created to mobilize and support Black creatives in Central Florida. When she’s not working on Friendish, she spends most of her time with her sweet and very energetic Black Lab puppy, Trudy Garland.
    This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

Komentáře • 536

  • @zacharypeacock6278
    @zacharypeacock6278 Před 4 lety +464

    For years i would code switch so that other people wouldn't wouldn't look at me as uneducated. But now i choose not to because i am comfortable with who I am and don't have to prove myself to anyone except me. I realized that people will look at you and judge you just because of the color of your skin so why am I going to make them feel comfortable when they have already made a judgment of me because of my skin color. Now I will code switch when someone underestimate my intelligence just to show them that I can speak well when needed. But for the most part I speak the language that I'm comfortable speaking...

    • @granjmy
      @granjmy Před 4 lety +26

      That's what I like about getting older. Wisdom, personal acceptance, just being who I am to a greater extent.

    • @meganking4726
      @meganking4726 Před 4 lety +5

      Zachary Peacock okay king behavior. we have no choice but to stan.

    • @milflover6203
      @milflover6203 Před 4 lety +3

      I had an opposite experience w code switching. In middle school as a white kid, I was in the minority with filipino and kids in majority. So when I was with my filipino friends I’d talk like them and now in high school with my mexican friends I’ll talk like them. With my white friends or mixed groups of friends i’ll talk as myself.

    • @echt114
      @echt114 Před 4 lety +5

      @Zachary Peacock: Stop lying. Your story clearly indicates that the judgments people were making about you were about education, not race.

    • @CuttySobz
      @CuttySobz Před 3 lety +4

      One should always strive to speak properly.

  • @mugulakikawa
    @mugulakikawa Před 4 lety +389

    I didn’t know this was called code switching. I do it all the time. Every time I get stopped by a cop, I emphasize my African accent. You have no idea, how many times it’s saved me.

    • @carmenseguridad7105
      @carmenseguridad7105 Před 4 lety +12

      why does emphasizing your african accent help

    • @mugulakikawa
      @mugulakikawa Před 4 lety +42

      asha o it keeps me out of trouble. You have no idea how much it’s saved me. Even when I got locked up. 🥺🙈🏃🏾‍♂️🏃🏾‍♂️🏃🏾‍♂️

    • @RayvenFeather
      @RayvenFeather Před 4 lety +17

      This does not make sense. I would think that NOT emphasizing the African accent would be better for that.

    • @GAZAMAN93X
      @GAZAMAN93X Před 4 lety +145

      @@RayvenFeather it does. He's seen as not from the area.

    • @MrRushBeatz
      @MrRushBeatz Před 4 lety +100

      This is so true. I have a Liberian friend, he speaks great english. When we got pulled over one night and he just kept replying to them with "I dont unda stand"(strong accent) and turning to me to explain haha. Cops gave a warning and we still laugh about that night.

  • @beneath.the.rosesluciddrea8470

    Yes on the subject, but... WOW she is a dang good public speaker. Her facial expressions, her cadence and pauses, her voice.. she is so comfortable up there. I wonder if I could ever do it that well in front of people. Also.. "Yall" is probably my favorite word because it can be used to express sooo many things. Y'all can be its own sentence.

    • @anonamous6968
      @anonamous6968 Před 4 lety +1

      She speaks Standard English very well. She is articulate.

    • @blanco7726
      @blanco7726 Před 4 lety +2

      Yall sounds weird. Its you lot for me.

    • @Mamignonne100
      @Mamignonne100 Před 3 lety

      Yes! She is A great speaker!

    • @shahee6579
      @shahee6579 Před 2 lety

      @@blanco7726 you British?

    • @blanco7726
      @blanco7726 Před 2 lety +1

      @@shahee6579 half

  • @nica2653
    @nica2653 Před 5 lety +213

    Yes! Yes! Yes! I was called an apple. Red on the outside, white on the inside. (Im a Native American woman)

    • @veinteduece6625
      @veinteduece6625 Před 4 lety +39

      Wow that's a new one to me... Wow apple.

    • @777sweett777
      @777sweett777 Před 4 lety +5

      WoW! 😳 I've never heard of that term before! That is so sad! At least you may have some privilege from not having very dark skin. Just because I can make crazy but true statement as that, just shows how much this world is soooo messed up!

    • @filmtressmu8552
      @filmtressmu8552 Před 4 lety +3

      Maybe because you really are White who's ancestor had $5. dollars.

    • @Sporkonafork1
      @Sporkonafork1 Před 4 lety +1

      @Herbal Shaman Siberians are from Asia exactly, we have been living on this continent for 20000 years, so not Siberian anymore that's for sure.

    • @capturemorellc6818
      @capturemorellc6818 Před 4 lety

      You are cute what’s your ig 😅

  • @carolllawrence
    @carolllawrence Před 3 lety +87

    Interesting. The first thing I thought is that if she didn't code switch, what would be the chances that she'd be standing on the red circle doing a Ted Talk about this or anything else. That's not intended as a negative comment at all. Every word she said is true. I'm 67 so I guess it hits me differently. I've had to do it all of my life. I'm extremely good at it. I just looked at it as a way of life. Do what you gotta do to get where you want to go. I taught my children to do it. I didn't know the term "code switching." I told them they just needed to learn the two languages of this country. I fully understand the feelings and especially the deep desire for "authenticity." Thirty/forty years ago I felt I had no time for such feelings. I had to be "smart" enough to do what I needed to do. This is 2020 and I'm happy that this generation is standing up. As for me, in this social climate that has remained largely unchanged, as have the hearts of people since the 60s, I continue to feel empowered to do what I need to do, when I need to do it, to get what I need. At the end of the day (as always) I take my authentic self, go home to the peace of my reality and sleep well.

    • @dnmurphy48
      @dnmurphy48 Před 3 lety +7

      Well said. To get ahead you have to communicate. You adapt with the dominant culture or you ghettoise yourself. Code-switch is an abominable expression for what is basically a way of life throughout the world. we all adapt to circumstance.

    • @Akilahfoye
      @Akilahfoye Před 3 lety

      code switching is something we acquired from our ancestors when they didn't want the colonizers to understand their messages.

    • @TwinMama828
      @TwinMama828 Před 2 lety

      yes

    • @dionsanchez4478
      @dionsanchez4478 Před 2 lety

      Nicely put. But it isn't exclusive to the US. Code-switching is useful in other countries and other cultures.

    • @chloebenjamin5599
      @chloebenjamin5599 Před 2 lety +1

      Yup she had to code switch for them to even listen to her. Sad reality

  • @bd3825
    @bd3825 Před 5 lety +241

    I agree with everything this lady said. She put it so eloquently.

    • @granjmy
      @granjmy Před 4 lety +1

      She reminds me of Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro. I wish I could talk like those 2.

    • @slicusdadon
      @slicusdadon Před 4 lety +20

      @@granjmy You just had to didn't you? Just had to. FFS.

    • @granjmy
      @granjmy Před 4 lety +1

      @@slicusdadon What's your point? Seems like I offended you.

    • @jubilantsleep
      @jubilantsleep Před 4 lety +2

      @@slicusdadon Lol

    • @lifebyjohnny
      @lifebyjohnny Před 3 lety +3

      @@slicusdadon Bruh Lmaooo @donna Morrow is a prime example of when you try to hard to fit in. I'm dead.

  • @KingdomInnovateX
    @KingdomInnovateX Před 4 lety +137

    This was dope/ stellar !
    I used to code switch either by using mo slang words on the Job or ; utilizing more serendipitous nomenclatures in the boardroom.

  • @IloveJC30
    @IloveJC30 Před 4 lety +188

    Had to come listen to this again in 2020, so relevant!

    • @GenXican84
      @GenXican84 Před 3 lety +1

      You'll need to preach that
      To the client..they're issuing the purchase orders

  • @vicj9256
    @vicj9256 Před 6 lety +158

    I am going to show this to my Grade 11 & 12 Psych students. We are learning about groups and what it takes to fit in, as well as the complicated intricacies that "Third Culture Kids' need to maneuver, and how all of those affect identity creation. ( There are about 70 first languages in my school.) Thank you!

    • @smithoma
      @smithoma Před 6 lety +3

      You should also introduce them to Communication Accommodation Theory, as well as Social Identity Theory. They are very similar, and a little more fitting to what she was talking about. I'm not saying she is wrong, as social science theories become multi-disciplinary, but usually code switching is reserved to (Cognitive and Socio) linguistics.

    • @ZeusKnocksYouOut
      @ZeusKnocksYouOut Před 6 lety +5

      Why not teach kids to stand out rather than telling them that they have to fit in?... group identities are not paramount. INDIVIDUALISM IS PARAMOUNT(the enlightenment and all that). This is the problem today - postmodernism and neo marxism. its unfulfilling to a person to have their group identity be what they ultimately define themselves as because thats not who they really are... That being said as a teacher you should encourage your students to act appropriately in an academic setting. Standards are good. Standards = values = fundamentals to build off of and leads to goals to aim for. Goals and aims are what is fulfilling in life and gives people something to live for... students are being brainwashed by this postmodernism that possesses many teachers in the West which is a contradictory and dangerous ideology that leaves kids with a hollow sense of being by pushing their responsibility on others by making sure others tolerate them. Consequently this gives these kids the idea that everyone HAS to accept them when they most certainly do not, and the students shouldn't care. We can find a way forward to a more just society without pushing the responsibility of living onto everyone else, and thats by making sure students take responsibility for themselves. Students need to grow up in school.
      PS. We had the ultimate identity politics test in the 20th century and the result was 100 million deaths. We dont to play that game in the West now.

    • @smithoma
      @smithoma Před 6 lety +3

      You can't avoid group influence on your individual identity. Too much influence on standards, values, and fundamentals creates group mentalities. You mentioned the ultimate politics test which resulted in 100 million deaths. That's because there was one man, telling a group they must be and act act his fundementals, values, and standards deemed fit. What you are talking about is fascism. What if a group doesn't agree with your worldview? One could argue that education is brainwashing one way or another; if it is post-modern, or idealistic. This post-modern, or neo marxist shift in society is result of globalism, and necessary if we hope to co-exist. Yes, students don't have to accept people being different. But if they hope to operate successfully in society, they will have to. No one can exist as a true individual. We as humans are pack animals. The reality of what you're suggesting is as theoretically implausible as Marxism.

    • @armandopina8529
      @armandopina8529 Před 2 lety

      be careful they don't accuse you teaching CRT. been code switching on more than 1 level. I'm almost a chameleon

  • @saveUyghurs
    @saveUyghurs Před 5 lety +113

    I love that her microphone is a skin tone color that is actually her color!

    • @homiesapien2041
      @homiesapien2041 Před 3 lety +2

      Why

    • @kenmtb
      @kenmtb Před 2 lety

      @Nicolas Rojas Taborda why not?

    • @user-mv7ho8ts7z
      @user-mv7ho8ts7z Před 2 lety +1

      Weird

    • @jeffjohnston1961
      @jeffjohnston1961 Před 2 lety

      Who cares

    • @ckinno
      @ckinno Před 2 lety +1

      @@jeffjohnston1961 these small nuances matter, when everything around you fails to consider your purchasing options even though you contribute to the economy.

  • @clairedubiel6226
    @clairedubiel6226 Před 5 lety +57

    The Hate You Give is an amazing movie that touches on this topic

    • @naavajo
      @naavajo Před 4 lety

      Loved that movie

    • @carawillis761
      @carawillis761 Před 4 lety

      I read that for a book club group and there was a follow up including this video

    • @punkrockdaisies8985
      @punkrockdaisies8985 Před 4 lety

      amazing book. I'm incorporating it into my dissertation which lead me to this Ted talk

  • @Knoboddie
    @Knoboddie Před 3 lety +24

    "How to behave and speak in a way that made me a non-threatening person of color"
    Speaks volumes 😔

  • @jackalopegaming4948
    @jackalopegaming4948 Před 3 lety +25

    A thought I had while watching this: I'm autistic, and I code switch too since I have to be seen as "normal" in some places but in others I can whistle to myself however I like or do other stimming.

    • @youreincredible1648
      @youreincredible1648 Před 3 lety

      I look after austic children. Is it easier to code switch now your older. Did your parents and teachers think that was possible?

    • @jackalopegaming4948
      @jackalopegaming4948 Před 3 lety +2

      ​@@youreincredible1648 I didn't learn I was autistic until I was 25. I'm 32 now. Through grade school I was simply ADD and a bit odd. I still knew not to hand flap at school when I was angry or excited but could do it at home, especially on my own. Granted, I did have one time in a high school math class where I got lost in some music and was drumming and ended up disturbing the class.
      But mostly I was just labelled a little odd. I never screamed or really had tantrums, but my dad always found it difficult to motivate me and eventually gave up trying to push me when I was in high school. And I don't blame him since when he pushed I either pushed back or dodged and did my own thing anyway. Had he known I was autistic he might have looked into other ways of getting through to me.
      My teachers usually knew me as the smart kid who hated homework but aced tests, and some of them were genuinely puzzled by that but I kept proving that I wasn't cheating.
      I work at a grocery store now and when I tell coworkers that I'm autistic and/or introverted, they look at me like "Whaaaaat? No way." Yes way. I mask and code switch at work because customer service has a bit of a requirement of being "normal" and slightly extroverted. That's the emotional labor I put in, at least when interacting with others.
      The biggest thing I wish I'd had when I was younger was being taught how to better express my thoughts and needs. And I see so many autistic children having tantrums or withdrawing into their shells because they can't express their needs in ways others can understand, or will listen to.

  • @charliebrownsdad178
    @charliebrownsdad178 Před 5 lety +50

    What an amazing person. She gets it.

  • @topgurl9313
    @topgurl9313 Před 4 lety +23

    Interesting talk. One of my favourites. She presented her argument, so matter-of-fact and unapologetically, with life experience and statistics. With a bit of humour in there too. This is what I want from Tedx talks.

  • @davidw.4524
    @davidw.4524 Před 4 lety +101

    Code switching is synonymous to sounding/acting politically correct and it's a deception. We live in a very diverse world and should learn to appreciate other people's cultures, languages and behaviors while maintaining our real self at the same time.

    • @777sweett777
      @777sweett777 Před 4 lety +5

      That's EXACTLY what the speaker was saying. 👍🏾

    • @TNDCBaby
      @TNDCBaby Před 4 lety +4

      PC isn't the right word for it. It's a sound and not just the words and it is not about choosing the right words in order to avoid offending or use current terms.

    • @Wandering.Homebody
      @Wandering.Homebody Před 4 lety +5

      @@TNDCBaby PC totally isn't the right term. It's about sounding professional, and also, comprehensible to most.

    • @dnmurphy48
      @dnmurphy48 Před 3 lety +2

      Bull, its adapting to the world around you so you can communicate and get ahead. if you don't then you're ghettoizing yourself,

    • @davidw.4524
      @davidw.4524 Před 3 lety

      @@dnmurphy48 Adapting? Well how does that work in certain countries like North Korea, Iran, China or Saudi Arabia. You can only get along with new people by importing your real self into that new environment.

  • @meganking4726
    @meganking4726 Před 4 lety +7

    omg she is one of the best orators i have ever seen

  • @brendatrimble9528
    @brendatrimble9528 Před 2 lety +9

    Very eye opening. I have only just learned about "code switching". This is something most of us are guilty of. I have a "work" personality and a "home" personality. The language that I'm comfortable using with my friends, definitely wouldn't be accepted at work. I realize it's at a different level, but I've never thought of it from a cultural perspective. Thank you for explaining this so well. We can all learn something from this.

  • @gigantje1
    @gigantje1 Před 4 lety +5

    What a wonderfll woman. I do it too as a white man in Holland born and raised in Curacao, one of the Dutch Antilles. Espesially when i drink to much my Curacao accent pops up again. It is not just words and accents but also the gesticulations

  • @CooriPalaire
    @CooriPalaire Před 6 lety +6

    Awesome Chandra. Thank you.

  • @freddy8942
    @freddy8942 Před rokem +2

    This hits so hard. Moved from Florida to Utah and forgot my actual voice.

  • @hellohi7012
    @hellohi7012 Před 3 lety +1

    Absolutely amazing talk!

  • @slagwill5599
    @slagwill5599 Před 2 lety +4

    It’s just a matter of cultural adaptation. Historically we’re in a land not of our choosing, really. Therefore if we choose to play their game - then we have to make certain adjustments in order to smoothly maneuver. Speaking their language is one of a type. But this depends also upon the character of the person in question. One may be of such a nature that they can impose their will upon the environment and force others to adapt to them. It’s not a static scenario, and one style is not “better” than the other. One person adapts and switches, another simply moves in a different direction altogether, while a third type simply refuses to bend at all. All three types are needed and play their own part in the whole.

  • @julian65886
    @julian65886 Před 6 lety +30

    Afterwards she makes great points. She acted like the majority in school and was accepted. Sometimes racism is not about color, but about having a different culture. As a Latin I acted American.

    • @veinteduece6625
      @veinteduece6625 Před 4 lety +4

      Re-evaluate your understanding racism and colorism

  • @KTo288
    @KTo288 Před 6 lety +79

    This is more properly described as diglossia, than "code switching", using different registers or dialects of the same language depending on cicumstances.

    • @saskiadavies111
      @saskiadavies111 Před 6 lety +27

      KTo288 and and she said, it's more than language: it's also culture.

    • @tanajsiaaa
      @tanajsiaaa Před 5 lety +25

      KTo288 She literally explained that she meant code switching in the colloquial sense. She even defined it as you did above before indicating that at 2:35.

    • @takodawhitefeather
      @takodawhitefeather Před 5 lety +12

      @@robertduerler7710 She clearly noted, "In the colloquial sense," dear listener... "In the colloquial sense." Geesh!

    • @takodawhitefeather
      @takodawhitefeather Před 5 lety +3

      She's simply speaking in terms of switching between different discourses... primary versus secondary, and so on.

    • @toniapurnell-respes1695
      @toniapurnell-respes1695 Před 5 lety +4

      Isn't the first referrer to "diglossia," in fact code-switching to a formal term from the layman's term as she explained it? I see negative comments, but no one's truly disagreeing.

  • @juicesandberries1
    @juicesandberries1 Před 5 lety +5

    Excellent!

  • @alessiab426
    @alessiab426 Před 5 lety +5

    The questions at the beginning reminded my of a Kafka novel

  • @rakitadavis1603
    @rakitadavis1603 Před 2 lety

    Love everything about this.

  • @victorobembe6950
    @victorobembe6950 Před 6 lety +2

    Excellent!!

  • @dalonbranch8270
    @dalonbranch8270 Před 4 lety +68

    Am i the only one who was looking for her to break out in her other voice?

    • @anonamous6968
      @anonamous6968 Před 4 lety +10

      Yes. I do find it telling that in order to speak clearly and articulately she chose Standard English rather than Ebonics. I've noticed that this is often the case. If she spoke Ebonics her case would crumble immediately.

    • @blanco7726
      @blanco7726 Před 4 lety +1

      anon amous dont think she speaks ebonics lol

    • @TilTheBreakADawn
      @TilTheBreakADawn Před 4 lety +8

      @@anonamous6968 Why do you think "[i]f she spoke Ebonics her case would crumble immediately"?

    • @gabbicassell7704
      @gabbicassell7704 Před 4 lety +10

      anon amous You are clearly portraying the problem 😂

    • @TilTheBreakADawn
      @TilTheBreakADawn Před 3 lety +1

      @dave young I don't follow. 1. What is the "it" you're referring to? 2. How is [whatever it is] changing white "dialect"?

  • @miguelmagana7460
    @miguelmagana7460 Před 3 lety +1

    OHHHH MYYY!! spending time learning culture appropriation instead of living.. My life for the past 2.5 years
    Thanks for this talk so much

  • @Rjg19831
    @Rjg19831 Před rokem +3

    She’s an effective speaker but I don’t believe code switching should be a negative thing. Every race and culture has to code switch. I grew up in the backwoods of East TX, and I definitely had to change the way I talk and interact when I got to the city. I don’t expect ppl to take me serious if I talk like Jeff Foxworthy at my white collar job.

  • @jsanns
    @jsanns Před 3 lety +5

    This is fantastic. I've never heard of 'Code Switch' before. My company sent us this TedTalk and I'm so glad they did. Thanks for the education.

  • @chihiroessien
    @chihiroessien Před 6 lety +17

    Amazing presentation. Important, transformative message.

  • @ko2744
    @ko2744 Před 4 lety

    Very true about y'all. Stopped saying that when I moved from KY to NY.

    • @MagicalAuroraDream
      @MagicalAuroraDream Před 4 lety

      I moved from Washington state to Virginia in 7th grade and whoa what a shock! I'd never actually heard anyone say "Y'all" before.

  • @filmtressmu8552
    @filmtressmu8552 Před 4 lety

    I have that magazine and read that article. It's a shame, this is one area that needs to be made over. We need a humanitarian endeavor to fund our business ventures.

  • @SugahShy
    @SugahShy Před 4 lety +8

    This is an interesting topic.
    I am reminded of my friends whose families had totally different languages at home, but spoke English without even a hint of an accent outside their homes. We had it too, down to the names we used with each other.
    Maybe it would help if children were instilled with the knowledge at home, and early on, of the duality of living in a melting pot, along with the reassurance that it is ok to take pride in both their home identity and their outside world identity.
    I don't know. But, it certainly is something to ponder.

  • @omarmartinez481
    @omarmartinez481 Před 3 lety +3

    This was literally an amazing talk

    • @PHlophe
      @PHlophe Před rokem

      Qué linda mujer !

  • @victorycounselingcenters323

    This is well said!

  • @stina8485
    @stina8485 Před 5 lety +4

    Would love to have listened in on follow up conversations.

  • @dancrowe8274
    @dancrowe8274 Před 4 lety +6

    I've never had a issue with anyone who respects my space. I don't talk to people since I moved to Cincinnati due primarily to the rudeness of people in general here. Talk how you want but in the job market we are all are expected to work to the same level as everyone else and there are no excuses.

  • @Newview.592
    @Newview.592 Před rokem

    Thank you sharing ...

  • @filmtressmu8552
    @filmtressmu8552 Před 4 lety +30

    Sometimes, I am not in the mood to 'code-switch' and I don't care who I offend. This is my land and I am indigenous. My bloodline is Choctaw and I have very dark skin. I look like this woman in the video. We will have our land back and be on a higher realm in a bit.

    • @dnmurphy48
      @dnmurphy48 Před 3 lety +3

      You lost, deal with it.

    • @filmtressmu8552
      @filmtressmu8552 Před 3 lety +4

      @Bridgette Machuca From the time I was a little girl, I knew my grandmother was Choctaw. However, just two years ago I realized that my father and his family is too. I thought it was an amazing and incredible piece of my ancestry to discover. Yay!

    • @filmtressmu8552
      @filmtressmu8552 Před 3 lety +2

      @@dnmurphy48 Nope, you lost--and you're dealing with it now. lol

    • @filmtressmu8552
      @filmtressmu8552 Před 3 lety +2

      @@dnmurphy48 Nope, you lost. Now, you're dealing with it. Yay!

    • @dnmurphy48
      @dnmurphy48 Před 3 lety +1

      @@filmtressmu8552 Very childish and silly and inaccurate response.

  • @monicalopesministries5512

    Nailed it!

  • @Tamiekawordsmith
    @Tamiekawordsmith Před 3 lety

    This is so good!!

  • @cashbrandon9945
    @cashbrandon9945 Před 3 lety

    That was excellent! Great job.

  • @cat-alina8139
    @cat-alina8139 Před 4 lety

    Brilliant

  • @lindarosenthal6835
    @lindarosenthal6835 Před 3 lety

    Lovely.

  • @dionsanchez4478
    @dionsanchez4478 Před 2 lety +7

    I understand this from a mixed-race background. The issue is also that of cultural norms in communication. When a person who speaks "ghetto" enters into a different culture i.e. corporate business...there are accepted symbols and rituals, hence it is important not to stand out as different. Code-switching, in my view, is not a negative trait or should make you feel like your true-self is being suppressed. You are simply functioning in that space in a different culture from your own not work one.

    • @elisabethmulder4315
      @elisabethmulder4315 Před rokem +1

      As far as language is concerned I do agree. One could see the “proper” American language as the national anthem that binds people from all different backgrounds together as one American nation. Being from Europe myself, most countries have multiple dialects, yet generally one was chosen to represent the country as a whole, mostly for administrative purposes. Dialects are still used in the respective areas and sometimes even taught at school as a second language. Having one official language unifies a country and may even prevent certain regions from striving for independence. As for other aspects in life I would say that it is up to yourself as an individual and your own good judgement. It is about trying to find a balance between being authentic and not offending others in particular circumstances. Overall, tolerance is key in a country blessed with such a rich diverse population.

    • @PHlophe
      @PHlophe Před rokem

      Dion, she never actually talked about "ghetto" SMDH ! here we go again

  • @user-dr3uy9st7s
    @user-dr3uy9st7s Před 6 měsíci

    Greendays okay... but My Chemcial Romance had it hands down. I have to start dawning my skull stripe beanie after that. So impactful.

  • @bluered5497
    @bluered5497 Před 2 lety

    Good job

  • @drfranke
    @drfranke Před 5 lety +5

    Beautiful.

  • @bri.bri19-96
    @bri.bri19-96 Před 4 měsíci

    Damn I’m feeling like this in life right now idk how to be or what to be 😩 I try to be myself but like you said , it’s not always received well, I see the way people treat me when I do, how I’m not taken seriously , how I get taken as some sort of a joke , 🤦🏾‍♀️

  • @buppoboy
    @buppoboy Před 5 lety

    nice, real nice

  • @emolyemu89
    @emolyemu89 Před 4 lety +5

    I was always called a coconut or oreo, because I'm a biracial woman who loved ALL types of music dressed as goth and pinup and spoke English vs. AAVE.

    • @Slarti
      @Slarti Před 3 lety

      Was it white people who called you those names.

  • @stifledvoice
    @stifledvoice Před 6 lety +55

    "Oh stewardess, I speak Jive...."

    • @arieluv615
      @arieluv615 Před 5 lety +6

      😂😂😂 love that movie

  • @bernardobila4336
    @bernardobila4336 Před 4 lety +15

    I was expecting her to code switch

  • @gertrudebuck366
    @gertrudebuck366 Před rokem +1

    “KID!” I TRULY CANNOT STAND THAT WORD! THE WORD IS CHILDREN CHILDREN CHILDREN

  • @KyokushinKichiKai
    @KyokushinKichiKai Před 4 lety

    AMEN!!!

  • @lauraashley5392
    @lauraashley5392 Před 4 lety +3

    I’m just learning about the term code switching. And I remember as a child my mother would also train me not to speak like the locals. As where I am from (Small city in England) we would say things like “am ya” instead of are you. “I ay” instead of I didn’t “day ya” instead of didn’t you. I’m am grateful for these teaching though as it truly sounds awful speaking like that. But sometimes I do slip up. Especially when it come to street/urban slang.

  • @sr2ky
    @sr2ky Před 3 lety +3

    I'm a Spanish native speaker and I've been studying English by myself since I was a child. Even when I've been raised and I've been living in a Spanish speaker country I think in English all the time. It's hard 'cos mostly, when I'm speaking to my friends, my brain automatically switch to English and I always have to reprimand myself to not code-switch, in order to not sound cocky. People need to stop making feel others uncomfortable for that ability, they think it's cockiness...it's not!!!

    • @techiefan1986
      @techiefan1986 Před 3 lety

      ca Did, just ignore videos, in the USA we live in a world of professinal victims that will make trivia videos in order to get sympathy, when in reality everyone talks differently in different situations to communicate, bond, or fit in. It's not a race thing they try to make it out to be. Everyone experiences this regardless of their skin color.ust a first world problem, complained by those that have little harsh problems in their life to complain about.

    • @sr2ky
      @sr2ky Před 3 lety

      @@techiefan1986 Excuse me, can I ask you to re elaborate the idea? Sorry, it's just that I don't know if it is your autocorrect but I couldn't catch a part.

    • @techiefan1986
      @techiefan1986 Před 3 lety +2

      @@sr2ky , basically, it's not a problem to take seriously, it's just part of human nature. It effects everyone, in everyday situations, regardless of their race or origins.

  • @aceCOOKSit
    @aceCOOKSit Před 3 lety +3

    I look like a threating person of color soo learning how to code switch has saved me a few times. A chameleon of sorts that can blend anywhere. Learning the language of code is essential in an urban setting.

    • @dionsanchez4478
      @dionsanchez4478 Před 2 lety

      LOL. threatening person of color...not a typical white person's phrase...that is from the LEFT or progressives.

  • @kimberlyhoward4032
    @kimberlyhoward4032 Před 3 lety +3

    Well I know conformity is healthy but not at the expense of your inner self, learning to socially adapt to our environment isn’t a bad thing it can be simply a way of expanding your experience, picking and choosing for you when and how you want to adapt not losing yourself in the process. I’m not much of a conformist and have no desire to conform to most expectation, I’m a you get what ya get kinda girl 👧

  • @jusme2317
    @jusme2317 Před 3 lety +6

    I am a middle school teacher and I cannot emphasize this enough ✊🏾

  • @painlife6799
    @painlife6799 Před 4 lety +22

    I said "y'all" during my business presentation at school :(

    • @user-dq7cm6ug4h
      @user-dq7cm6ug4h Před 4 lety +2

      Good

    • @painlife6799
      @painlife6799 Před 4 lety +1

      @@user-dq7cm6ug4h good?😂

    • @user-dq7cm6ug4h
      @user-dq7cm6ug4h Před 4 lety +11

      @@painlife6799 If you think saying y'all is unprofessional then I feel sad for you. Professionalism doesn't mean a closer proximity to whiteness.

    • @user-dq7cm6ug4h
      @user-dq7cm6ug4h Před 4 lety +7

      @Hard To Say You missed the point entirely, and y'all isn't improper it's the contraction for you all.

    • @emilyflores9844
      @emilyflores9844 Před 3 lety +1

      I guess if I lived in the north or somewhere beyond the south then y'all in the board room would sound odd or improper but y'all said in the boardroom is fine here down south

  • @celbelle
    @celbelle Před 3 lety +4

    I've been thinking a lot about why I code switch as a hispanic. Its never intentional. It almost feels like second nature.

  • @bapsentreprise2055
    @bapsentreprise2055 Před 3 lety

    good

  • @kakababuda5755
    @kakababuda5755 Před 5 lety +45

    Do american police just point guns at people without any strong reason,

  • @RedPanda450
    @RedPanda450 Před 5 lety +18

    I get her point. I just don’t think that code switching is necessarily bad.

    • @bookswithbenjamin8902
      @bookswithbenjamin8902 Před 5 lety +10

      It's a survival tool

    • @jaelzion
      @jaelzion Před 4 lety +2

      I don't either necessarily. It's something that happens naturally as you learn to nagivate different contexts. But I agree with her that the failure to code-switch should not result in limited professional opportunities, being assumed to be unintelligent or getting shot by the police.

  • @chrisfry436
    @chrisfry436 Před 4 lety +3

    The most amazing part of this speech was the fact that four police officers came to a burglary call on a sunday afternoon!! lol

  • @D.O.N.
    @D.O.N. Před 3 lety

    🔥

  • @maxb9315
    @maxb9315 Před 4 lety +7

    Code-switching is not solely associated with ethnicity/race. It's common in class-based societies, such as Britain, and especially England. You might have heard the maxim that as soon as one Englishman opens his mouth to speak, another Englishman despises him.

  • @zachmorgan6982
    @zachmorgan6982 Před 3 lety

    Greendays awesome

  • @TwinMama828
    @TwinMama828 Před 2 lety

    you are incredibly inspiring. i feel so seen

  • @focusfernand0
    @focusfernand0 Před 4 lety +16

    Is it safe for me to assume that the school she transferred to in the 3rd grade was predominantly white?

  • @zydarking
    @zydarking Před 4 lety +1

    Chandra Arthur has the voice of a goddess. I could listen to it all day long. Either narrating an audio book, or an ASMR video 🤤

  • @sophiadavenport3959
    @sophiadavenport3959 Před 5 lety +40

    As a woman of color I can totally relate to Chardra's experience but there's nothing wrong with someone speaking proper english.

    • @thefam6952
      @thefam6952 Před 5 lety +20

      Patricia the booke this wasn’t about speaking proper English

    • @thefam6952
      @thefam6952 Před 5 lety +22

      Patricia the booke this was about culturally hinding parts of one’s self for the sake of making the ruling class uncomfortable

    • @bluebirdredrobin6827
      @bluebirdredrobin6827 Před 5 lety +24

      No such thing as “proper” English. Language is not static.

    • @ddawn23
      @ddawn23 Před 5 lety +13

      At no point did she argue there was something wrong with speaking proper English. Whatever "proper English" even is.

    • @daarmonet
      @daarmonet Před 5 lety +8

      lol you must've misunderstood because that wasn't the point at all

  • @claireyang7440
    @claireyang7440 Před 2 lety +1

    I (and my class) was given a banana on the first day of fifth grade Chinese school. The teacher (from Mainland China) proceeded to point to the bananas and say, “you all are yellow on the outside and white on the inside like those bananas”.

  • @stefanniecundiff1554
    @stefanniecundiff1554 Před 3 lety

    👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Love this. I'm wondering though, what's the difference between code-switching and register? Is there a certain overlap? The "y'all" example makes me wonder, as it's really more of an adjustment from informal to formal register than code-switching. With that particular word, at least in the South, it's commonly used by people of all races. However, if you were born/raised in the South and relocate to the East Coast, the decision to say "you all" instead of "y'all" is more of an example of code-switching. One would likely decide to use the standard "you all" instead of "youse guys", for instance.

    • @jillianboyer82
      @jillianboyer82 Před 3 lety +2

      I suppose for a white person (Speaking from american experience), there isn't much of a difference, because we don't really have a code to switch from. For African Americans and other people who speak differently than the standard american English, its about changing your accent, your slang, your vocabulary and basically everything that makes up they way you talk. I believe her repeating using the word "Y'all" as her example was simply that, an example. I am a white american living in america so I have no experience having to code switch, however I know that with the amount of racism in this country, people are less threatened by people speaking the same standard way that they do. Hopefully this can change. once again tho, im not a POC of any standard to this is just my thoughts

    • @adriantheexpat
      @adriantheexpat Před 2 lety +1

      Code switching includes the assimilation into the dominant culture to fit in. The example she gave was changing how she dressed in school and adopting new musical interests.

  • @samanthabloodsaw4450
    @samanthabloodsaw4450 Před 5 lety

    bloodsaw I have captian perferssor

  • @benjaminollis7621
    @benjaminollis7621 Před 3 lety +2

    This is something anyone can find themselves doing regardless of race.. Its a instinctive reaction to try to 'fit in' with whatever larger group one is within at the time, can be based on fears of how others may perceive you, however it can also be useful when done right..
    A teacher could have one way of being with a class, another with her family, another in a stag conference and another if she was visiting a culture not so familiar to hers for example

  • @Brockers123
    @Brockers123 Před 3 lety

    I’m white and English. I’m in a bare diverse school so I have different ways I act around my mum and dad, my closer mates and my school mates. I use more slang around my school mates, less around my mum and dad and my closer mates. I’d this a similar thing?

  • @anthonyharris1397
    @anthonyharris1397 Před 3 lety +1

    South Memphis, Tennessee or ten a key

  • @kiwi_konny14
    @kiwi_konny14 Před 3 lety +3

    i'm only here for my english work

  • @phirion6341
    @phirion6341 Před 3 lety

    6:00

  • @mrs.morris5506
    @mrs.morris5506 Před 4 lety +14

    That time this white chick from high school told me I was an oreo....sheesh! I WILL NOT apologize for speaking phonetically. I WILL NOT apologize for being highly educated. To each his own. If others want to keep it hood, more power to you. That's not my way.

  • @Gunbudder
    @Gunbudder Před 3 lety +1

    i code switch against my will. i will automatically code switch to sound more like whoever i'm talking to. i hate doing it, but i can't stop myself, so i've learned to just deal with it

    • @mohamedkamara8225
      @mohamedkamara8225 Před 2 lety

      That used to happen to me. I had no Identity, I was a chameleon adapting myself to whoever I was with to fit in. Please don’t give up, you are doing this to try to fit in and be accepted. Love yourself and present yourself as you authentically are, no matter who’s watching !

  • @randomusername3873
    @randomusername3873 Před 3 měsíci +2

    Every human on the Planet: changes the way they talk based on the situation they are in
    Americans: "how do I make this about racism"

  • @KeturahTori
    @KeturahTori Před rokem

    The cost if exposing your code to your enemy is far greater.
    Imagine native code was known during world war..we probably would have lost

  • @banksta3
    @banksta3 Před 3 lety

    What do we think about politicians using "code-switching" when talking to layfolk? Those who when addressing congress, use the Kings English, yet when addressing their potential constituents, use slang and drawl. It is insulting? Endearing?

  • @yashk1964
    @yashk1964 Před 4 lety +1

    My friends call me coconut or bounty (the chocolate) because I'm brown on the outside and white on the inside

  • @mynameisnotgirl8184
    @mynameisnotgirl8184 Před 4 lety +15

    Jodeci boots = Dr. Marten's, lol!

  • @iamtheshaker
    @iamtheshaker Před 3 lety +2

    Why does articulation correspond to Code Switching?

    • @dnmurphy48
      @dnmurphy48 Před 3 lety +2

      It doesn't. Code switching is just academic drivel or person of colour whining. We all adapt to circumstances, no matter our culture or race.

    • @jaylahallen4326
      @jaylahallen4326 Před 3 lety +1

      Because of dialects some articulation of certain sounds are more prominent and in other dialects it is not. That becomes apart of code-switching. Cutting off the ending of words, replacing the th with a d or removing the r sounds of words are all examples of different articulation changes. The person who previously responded to you just sounds bitter. Most people the are not from the background of their intended audience may choose to code-switch, that includes White people. He chose to make it a race thing when it not, although it usually is used by people of color.

  • @goaheadmakemyday7126
    @goaheadmakemyday7126 Před 3 lety +2

    I must be lucky to have a standard american accent as my default dialect. I couldn't code switch with fellow blacks if I tried.

  • @georgeerhard1949
    @georgeerhard1949 Před 3 lety +1

    I don't see code switching per se as the problem, it's a symptom of the larger issue. That said, adapting speech patterns and dress to better 'blend in' also doesn't change your morality or values. You are still "you".

  • @edwinamendelssohn5129

    Show me where Appalachia English is spoken in the public square. Bronx English? Etc

  • @damicool2000
    @damicool2000 Před 4 lety +3

    Cultural appropiation isn't a thing, nobody in the world thinks it exists excepting America, because it's their reaction to the systematic and institutionalized discrimination that exists in their country: since their laws aren't being modified, and no policitician is doing anything to solve that terrible situation, Americans have begun to believe that things like cultural appropiation are the ones causing discrimination, when it's just the system itself who is causing it. The sole result of this type of thinking is even more polarization, antagonizing blacks and whites more than ever, when they should actually be working together to finally make a change.

    • @rachelmyles2729
      @rachelmyles2729 Před 3 lety

      Cultural appropriation does exist people do it all the time

    • @lucabrooks4519
      @lucabrooks4519 Před 3 lety

      Are you seriously going to sit there and deny that cultural appropriation exists?

    • @damicool2000
      @damicool2000 Před 3 lety +2

      @@lucabrooks4519 As I said, it doesn't exist. You invented it. Pls stop.

  • @rainyfeathers9148
    @rainyfeathers9148 Před 4 lety +5

    Are we pretending this coding switching makes a difference (O_O")? That's not how it works, let us not eloquate and articulate ourselves into ignorance. The police are what they are, she could've been shot up anyway if she saw the guns and screamed. The old woman knows what she and so does this lady.

  • @tgeorges
    @tgeorges Před 4 lety +1

    And yet...

  • @topgurl9313
    @topgurl9313 Před 4 lety

    9:38 I always look for who doesn't applaud positive statistics like that and wonder why they didn't.