If Black Isn T A Language Summary

Identity is a vague definition used to determine what or who a person is. Identity is how we see ourselves and how we are able to see others. It can go beyond the basic characterizations we commonly think of, age, gender, religion, and race. For those who have a cultural background can go beyond their ethnicity and heritage and use their language. In If Black Isn’t a Language, Baldwin said, “It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity.” (Baldwin). In other words, the language someone uses can either separate them from the majority or connect them with the group. However, not a lot of people agree with the idea of using language since they personally don’t have a language to identify with.

Whites are familiar with one language and that’s English. White people don’t familiarize themselves with another language unless they are learning that culture. Otherwise, they don’t necessarily feel the need to agree with the norm of linguistic identity. They invalidate those with different linguistics by lashing out negatively. This causes a problem that a lot of people who are bilingual have to face day to day. The hatred people most commonly endure causes them to self-loath. If there isn’t any place that allows them to speak their language freely, they lose confidence in their native tongue. Who’s to say the lose confidence in themselves. They ache to take pride in their languages but don’t have that source that tells them they can. In society, they are separated from the majority and have to rely on one another to uplift themselves in ways others