Tenille Jensen Blog 3

Do I speak English? That seems like a pretty easy question to answer. Before taking this class, I probably would have immediately said yes and not thought twice about it. Having the opportunity to watch The Colored Museum by George Wolf (and listen to our group discuss the movie afterwards) made me realize how complicated that question can really be. I can probably say that I am confident in the fact that I speak English and I can articulate myself well to other English speakers, but how much of what I am really trying to say is being conveyed to my English companions – my true thoughts, my deepest feelings, my history….do people really understand what I am trying to say, are they getting it?

To be honest, I’m not sure. What I am sure of is the fact that I watched a profound play, took it in for all its worth, and tried to understand the African American plight. Unfortunately, the reality is, I don’t think that I ever will. As a minority, I can relate to a certain extent but let’s call a spade and spade….I am not an African American and I will never know what it feels like to truly be a black male or female growing up in the United States. I am not going to pretend to either. Though the cast members of The Colored Museum spoke English and conveyed the struggles of the African American community in white America so eloquently, how much of it will I ever understand? How much of what my African American peers say can I relate to? What part of the transaction is disconnected? I think this can be said for every English speaker on the color spectrum in the United States: we each speak an English that is deeply rooted in our experiences, history, and most importantly, our shoes. Isn’t that what binds common languages and dialects to begin with?

In America, we speak many forms of English because we are a melting pot of history, culture, and experiences; no matter how well we articulate our emotions, some things can never be translated. Someone during our class discussion said that listening and respecting the experience of the individual will do more for our society than trying to sympathize, empathize, or create a common connection in which we can all relate – I completely agree. Until we learn to respect, listen, and learn, the language barrier will never be breached.