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Chameleon Of Born A Crime Essay

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Chameleon
In the chapter "Chameleon" of Born a Crime, Trevor Noah explores the complexities of growing up with a racially ambiguous identity. He writes about how his mixed race made it difficult for people to place him into a single racial category, and how he learned to use this to his advantage by adapting to the expectations of different groups. Noah recounts past experiences that demonstrate how his color had a significant impact on his life. His grandmother never punished him for his mischievous behavior as she was scared to hit "a white child", but at the same time she wasn’t afraid to hit his cousins who were black. Throughout his Childhood he was able to get away with all of the mischiefs he did because of his “white” color. But soon …show more content…

He describes how his mother used different languages and accents to fit in with different social groups and how his own use of language and accent shaped the way others perceived him. Noah recounts a situation where he and his mom were once “in a shop” and “the shopkeeper” directed his security guard to “follow” them “in case they” stole “something.” But his mom was able to change the shopkeeper’s perception of them by talking in “fluent Afrikaans.” By talking “fluent Afrikaans,” Noah’s mom was able to change the way the shopkeeper felt about them even though they were still black. This anecdote helps demonstrate the power that language has in shaping perceptions and defining one's identity. Noah goes on to share another anecdote where a group of black people were trying to mug him because they thought he was white. But he was able to talk their language and make them feel that he was one among them. With the power of language he was able to communicate and define himself as a member of their community. These anecdotes are great examples of how language plays a role in your identity and how you can use it to handle and control

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