Diving into accent discrimination
Whether you like it or not, people judge others constantly, even at initial contact. Others’ perception of you is very likely impacted by how you speak and sound. There is a tendency for people to be judgmental, and it is very common for people to be devalued based solely on the English they speak. It is heartening, but it’s the reality. This is why discrimination in the English language and its connection to accents is a topic that needs to be discussed. Often, people are discriminated against if their English is not standardized, or it is not considered perfect; however, accent discrimination creeps into the picture as well. The importance of researching this topic is driven by the fact that while discrimination against non-English speakers or broken English speakers is discussed a lot, discrimination against accents is rarely discussed. Therefore, I will explore how specific topics or categories affect discrimination against English speakers with accents in my essay. As part of the exploration of the significant issue of accent discrimination, accent treatment at work, and human psychology, Sophia Dream MD’s TED talk, research, and personal experiences will shed light on this issue, bringing awareness to those who experience accent discrimination.
Discrimination is widespread, and along with the different accents across different people, we are prone to accent discrimination. Specific topics and categories play key roles in attributing to its discrimination. Starters, Source 1, a blog by Burruezolaw “Speaking English at Work Language and Accent Discrimination” recognizes and demystifies the effects of having an accent at work. Work is already challenging for employees, as they are tasked with numerous tasks. On top of that, there is often some competition among co-workers, so it’s worst that, “some employees have experienced discrimination and harassment in the workplace because they speak their native language with each other, have an accent, or are not proficient in English”(5-6). This is awful and discriminating, but many employers look past this without utter concern, instead of resolving this issue, “many employers have implemented English-Only policies at work prohibiting employees from speaking in a foreign language, even when on break or when speaking to each other”(12-14). Due to the effect of this action, an unfair work environment is created for one side of the workforce. The worst part is that they completely restricted their use of their native languages, disrupting and eradicating a large part of their identity with English-only policies.
So why is it that people discriminate against those with accents? Is there any reason that would explain the reasoning? Well, there is. An article from Burruezolaw explains that accent discrimination arises from human psychology and the brain is discussed in source 2, “Why do people discriminate against speakers with foreign accents” by Richard Gray. Gray discusses possible reasons to justify accent discrimination. Evidence from research conducted by Dr. Foucart, “called SocialAccent has revealed a possible reason why this discrimination can occur. She looked at how the brain processes information when it is delivered in a foreign accent and found higher levels of activity compared to when it comes from a native speaker”(23-27). Research results help us understand how humans perceive foreign accents in comparison with people without accents—explaining how increased activity shows difficulty processing lexical and semantic information, resulting in a negative perception. It would directly relate to source 1, the blog by Burruezolaw which discusses discrimination against people with accents in the workplace or in general. Source 2 addresses the topic discussed in source 1 regarding how human behavior and mind affect their actions, as well as their attitude towards accented people.
Just by hearing a single spoken word from someone, people can detect that they are not native speakers of English. Consequently, causing bias and a different form of treatment, such as discrimination or rudeness. An Academic Surgeon, Sophie Dream MD, shares her story about what her mother had experienced and what she learned from it. Sophie Dream MD was finally able to understand her mother’s difficulties being that her mother speaks English with a Persian accent. This realization became apparent when Sophie stated that she began, “Understanding her experience navigating life while being seen as an outsider because of the way she speaks is something I have only really come to understand after over 30 years as a secondhand experience”(5-7), which allowed her to gain insight on how accent affects someone, either when it comes to interactions or career opportunities. Having stood by her mother’s side many times as shocked strangers looked at her mothers, “fair complexion, blond hair, and hazel eyes and exclaimed, “Where are you from?! I think I hear an accent!”(8-9). Now that she is a mother, she can relate to her mother’s past experiences. After becoming a parent, she saw details of her mother’s knowledge that she hadn’t noticed before, realizing, “how she was reminded multiple times a day that she did not belong. How she felt her value and worth questioned in front of her children every day”(35-37). Due to her Persian accent, her mother raised her children in an area where she wasn’t accepted. In this regard, we need to draw attention to the fact that people are losing their value and worth because of accents. A form of discrimination that people generally can’t change and why should they? Although Sophie Dream MD doesn’t speak American English with a foreign accent, she learned in time that many people make causal assumptions and comments about non-native English speakers.
Language discrimination doesn’t have to be face-to-face, as it can also be online. Safwat Saleem, a Pakistani-American visual artist, filmmaker, and graphic designer appeared in a TED talk discussing his story of how he felt and was treated online. For starters, Saleem had always been uncomfortable ànd nervous when around others. He generally tries not to make eye contact with anyone. Once someone walked up to him and said, “Hi, my name is So-and-so”(3) and asked for his name, Saleem froze and was unable to speak. Already have some social anxiety and discomfort, imagine what it would be like when he uploads an educational video about the history of video games, then sees the amount of hate that was being returned in his comment section criticizing his voice. People commented, “his voice is annoying. No offense”(37), as well as, “could you remake this without peanut butter in your mouth”(39), which reminded him about the hard times speaking during his childhood. Every time he plans on recording audio he couldn’t; the comments reminded him about his past self. People that commented were discriminating and targeting his voice, which aided more in his helplessness and discomfort when it comes to speaking to others. He felt normal when he used his highly edited voice in his work, but the comments altered how he felt, it didn’t feel normal anymore, instead, he stopped using his voice in his career. People don’t realize that the words or in Saleem’s case, the comments he received can stick with someone and can affect how a person may feel and change to the complete opposite. People feel the need to speak about something that can be hurtful and disheartening, without thinking about what that may do to someone else. When it comes to Saleem’s Pakistani accent, his comment section spoke terribly about it because it wasn’t viewed as normal. Yes, normal, but what is considered normal? Saleem didn’t want normality to be the base of his existence and the way he speaks. So, even with everything that Saleem experienced, he learned to accept himself, challenge the pre-existing notion of normal, and slowly start to use his voice again. That made him feel good. We need to be able to understand that being normal isn’t standardized or even exists because each and one of us is different and when there are different people, there is variety. We should appreciate the variety, instead of diminishing its value because they aren’t accustomed to the so-called “norm”.
Linguistic racism is prevalent and still exists without any solution because it’s hard to change the way people feel and perceive others. Research has shown, “it takes us less than 30 seconds to linguistically profile a speaker, and make quick decisions on their ethnic origin, socio-economic class, and their backgrounds”(Ferrari, 19-20). That idea relates to the idea discussed by Meltem Yilmaz Sener, writer of the article “English with a Non-Native Accent as a Basis for Stigma and Discrimination in the US” which discuss the probable reasons being negative reactions to foreign accent, which would be stereotyping. Whenever an individual hears speech patterns associated with a particular group, his or her prejudice against that group is triggered. So, people depict an opinion on someone from just 30 seconds of listening to them speak, resulting in a relationship where people stereotype those with accents to be less important, thus being treated less. The connection acknowledges that people may find accented people unintelligible or even difficult to comprehend, which makes people’s perception towards them discriminatory. People judge instantly and simultaneously without knowing it and it is because of that, that many people project negativity on accented people. As a result, people are often evaluated based on their ability to speak ‘standard English’, which can negatively affect their intellectual ability and lead to their exclusion from society.
Discrimination against people based on their accents is a widespread problem that affects people both at work and in their daily lives. People with accents are treated differently and devalued because of their voices. Human psychology and stereotypes are the catalysts of creating an opinion on others, which in return, people inflict judgment on others. It’s important to be able to learn and be aware of this issue. It is imperative that we spread the word about this topic and learn more about it. Even though we can’t change everyone’s attitudes about people with accents, we can raise awareness about this issue so that equal opportunities in the workplace can be created and others can help discrimination victims.
