Power in Linguistics
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Thobani’s Exalted Subjects explores how one of man’s basic needs—a sense of belonging—is not being met. Multiculturalism was a way for Canada to distinguish itself from other countries like the U.S. She writes of how while the U.S. manages differences, Canada constitutes it, making differences the most significant aspect of its relations with external countries. As a result, cultural identity became equated with political identity, and race was grouped with culture. With “culture” as the new distinguishing factor, there came a new form of racism. As a result of this “culturalization of racism” groups like Black Canadians were designated to the bottom of the social hierarchy through new ways. Black inferiority was instituted through perceived cultural lacks within Black culture. This shift has also led to race being discounted as an urgent matter of discussion, with these ideas seeping into the minds of immigrants, who may not recognize their experiences as racism unless overt acts occur.
Das’s Linguistic Rivalries challenges the assumption that moving from place to place is always associated with getting ahead socioeconomically. This perspective assumes that people who move from the Global South to the Global North are always better off in the North, overlooking the creative potential of immobility. According to linguistic researchers, over time, migrants come to equate their social mobility with physical movement. Due to the current discourse around how this sort of migration leads to upward social mobility, the individuals who migrate also end up believing this. Although this is the current discourse, there is power in “theorizing immobility as potentiality rather than disability.” As a cognitive science student, I find this particularly interesting, since we learn that linguistics has a strong impact on the way we think. Even the discourse around migration for upward social mobility is a direct result of colonialism and is something we should consider reconfiguring.