As I was reading chapter 4 of the book I can relate to the journey that most deaf people go through with self-actualization. Although I am part of the majority of the world that hears I am also a part of the minority of people that are of African decent living in America I too is on a journey of self-actualization in life. Most of the self-actualization stages that the book talks about currently I am going through what the book calls resistance and immersion where individuals from disenfranchised groups become determined to learn more about their cultural identity” pg 75. I can relate to a deaf person wanting to reject anything that relates to the hearing culture and surround themselves with deaf people and deaf culture. Even thought I was born here in the United States of America I don’t feel …show more content…
Black and deaf people are not all alike although sometime we are all put in groups of negative stereotypes about our culture. Growing up here in America and into my adulthood hearing and seeing negative images about my race I had a lot of self-hatred about myself and my people. From a small child up until my mid-twenty I never really thought I was pretty I wished I was light skin, I wish my hair was long and straight. I had a lot of self-hatred and pain with trying to conform to and look more mainstream-European looking this continue in to adulthood as well. When I first started wearing my hair in it’s natural state meaning no chemicals to change the texture of my hair I hated it I really felt ugly it really took time for me to love what I see in the mirror I felt isolated and so many of my friends and family told me my appears did not look professional in the work places or they would say you looked better when your hair was straight I was depressed for a long time until my hair started to grow