I speak, therefore I am: Meus idiomas

Posted in Articles, Asian Diaspora, Autobiography, Media Archive, United Kingdom on 2017-05-05 15:38Z by Steven

I speak, therefore I am: Meus idiomas

Varsity
Cambridge, England
2017-02-10

Eduardo Baptista


“But who am I to patronise them? I seem to have developed a tendency to shout mata (literally ‘kill’ in Portuguese) whenever I or my teammates execute a play under high pressure.”
Bianca Bueno

Eduardo Baptista talks about identity at the crossroads of swearing in Portuguese, struggling with Korean fluency, and sounding like a History student in English

It’s no news that we use language everyday to convey knowledge, ideas, and emotions of the most diverse kind. But it’s more intriguing how language directs us as much as we direct language, kind of like a stubborn GPS that doesn’t adjust to the driver’s every whim. It is often difficult to be self-aware of just how much language affects our personality and how we express it.

In my case, this self-awareness came about naturally, a consequence of being a mixed-race international student in Cambridge, spending holidays in Portugal, skipping Korean school as a kid, and experiencing some other fantastic cultures along the way…

Read the entire article here.

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‘What are you?’

Posted in Articles, Autobiography, Media Archive, United Kingdom on 2017-02-19 00:25Z by Steven

‘What are you?’

Varsity
Cambridge, United Kingdom
2017-02-03

Gabrielle McGuinness


Being mixed race defies binaries and confuses people.
HILLARY

Gabrielle McGuinness talks about being mixed race

‘So, ummmm…what are you?’

‘I’m sorry, what?’ I say.

‘Like where are you from.’

‘Oh! I’m British’, I’ll reply enthusiastically, trying to end the conversation there.

‘No, I mean where are you really from?’…

Read the entire article here.

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