Objective: Practice systematic application of citation conventions.

“Research Essay: Rhetorical Precis for Sources

Bumgarner, Erin, and Meiko Lin. “Hispanic Immigrant Children’s English Language Acquisition: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Early Care Arrangement.” Early education and development 25.4 (2014): 515–529. Web.

• Researchers and writers, Erin Bumgarner and Lin Meiko, in their 2014 article, “Hispanic Immigrant Children’s English Language Acquisition: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Early Care,” published in Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, addresses the topic of how early childhood education (ECE) can aid Hispanic children in English language proficiency, as well as how their socioeconomic status (SES) impacts their fluency in language and literacy, and argues that lower-income first-generation and second-generation Hispanic children benefit more from the ECE programs. They support this claim by giving research data and evidence from studies conducted on a sample group of Hispanic children, then explaining how the children who have a lower SES benefited more from the ECE program rather than children who come from a higher SES, and argues that lower-income first and second-generation Hispanic immigrant children should have more access to ECE programs because they would eventually yield a greater economic outcome. Bumgarner and Meiko’s purpose is to display their findings to the public in order to raise awareness and understanding of why Hispanic youth often have a lower proficiency in English, including higher drop-out rates, lower enrollment rates, and higher unemployment rates. They adopt an academic and non-biased tone for their audience, the readers of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, and others interested in the topic regarding the effects of language and literacy proficiency rates in Hispanic youth.

Lutz, Amy. “Barriers to High-School Completion Among Immigrant and Later-Generation Latinos in the USA: Language, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status.” Ethnicities 7.3 (2007): 323–342. Web.

• Professor and researcher, Amy Lutz, in her 2007 article, “Barriers to High-School Completion Among Immigrant and Later-Generation Latinos in the USA: Language, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status,” published in Ethnicities, addresses the topic of language and a majority of Latino youth being unable to finish high-school, and argues that there are several socioeconomic factors that play a role in the struggle Latino youth face in education. She supports this claim by providing evidence and data from studies and real statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, then explains how immigrants and first-generation Latino youth are affected by the education system due to their backgrounds, and finally argues that the U.S. education should assist and accommodate the needs of Latino youth. She adopts an academic and informational tone for her audience, the readers of Ethnicities and others interested in the topic of Latinos and linguistic barriers influencing education.”

Objective: Locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazine and newspaper articles)
in the library’s databases or archives and on the Internet and evaluate them for credibility,
accuracy, timeliness, and bias.

“Source Efficiency

The sources listed above are found from the City College library database and are a collection of dissertations, books, and articles regarding socioeconomic issues surrounding immigrants and prejudice against their English. These sources are useful because they examine different sectors of impact, such as healthcare, education, the labor market, etc. I will be able to explore the topic further by gaining access to an array of diverse information that will build strength and credibility towards my essay. I will most likely use more sources from the US Census Bureau and draw from their statistics, data, and history to track the progression of immigrant expansion and geographical location as well as income and wealth acquisition. I believe that the sources given can aid me in creating a stronger, more credible, and well-written essay.”

Cover Letter

My written language and literacy narrative illustrates one of the defining moments of my life as an immigrant; it describes how and why I am able to persevere through difficulties regarding fitting into society as a foreigner. The journey is never easy, but the feeling of accomplishment and pride is felt when one realizes the sculpture they created of oneself through his or her own blood, sweat, and tears. The person who started the journey is never the same as the one who finishes it. Likewise, I feel as though my narrative depicts the start of my climb up a treacherous mountain of hurdles that essentially built my character today. 

My intended audience when writing my narrative was the average non-immigrant American and the regular band of immigrants I identify myself with. I tailored my writing to satiate and appeal to their hunger of wanting to know more about how immigrants feel; to take them inside the mind of an immigrant child and walk in those small shoes. 

During the writing process, I gained several insights regarding language and literacy. In class, we have been learning that there are several forms of English around the world and in America; this new knowledge influenced how I wrote about my narrative and forced me to practice real writing… unconventional writing that is from the soul, which leads to the main concept which impacted my writing and learning the most: purpose. I feel as though any time I write, I must do it with purpose, for writing without a need of purpose produces a world without human compassion. Impacting my audience and leaving at least a small thought of change for a reader has become my main new goal in writing.

This phase’s assignment aided me in achieving a crucial social part of the Course Learning Outcomes: Engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes. I worked with my peers for peer reviews of our WLLN drafts and SLLN presentations, and it was the most engaging group experience I have had in class so far. I received so much support from everyone and it motivated me to keep doing better in the course. During my SLLN presentation, one of my classmates stated “Your writing is beautiful”, another one said, “You made me cry”. These comments showed me how I impacted my audience through my story, which led me to realize that having purpose in my writing was very important for me. When I wrote my WLLN draft, two of my peers commented about my writing; they did not incite or recommend any change, rather, they stated I should lengthen my writing and add more to the narrative because they were so fond of my story. I did exactly that, and in my written narrative, I expanded on the details of how my story formed who I was and this truly made my work better.

Throughout my narrative, I go into depth through the mind of an immigrant child. I never saw myself as an immigrant nor an American citizen. Rather, I saw myself as an expert concealer, a hider of things. I hid who I was and where I was from, therefore, I saw myself as a con artist. But, through the help of a very special substitute teacher, I realized that my family and I were not “aliens” as the immigration papers always stated. When I realized my family belonged, it gave me a sense of confidence that we were going to be okay. Where a person is from and their family roots give them a strong sense of backing in life, and once you are told that you and your family belong, you receive that feeling of home. The main takeaway from my narrative is that being an immigrant comes with many difficulties, but it is important to own who you are, where you are from, and why you came to a new world. My writing demonstrates the story of how I was able to gain confidence and a new perspective on how to take pride in being an immigrant.

Language & Literacy Narrative

As a child, I would always conceal that I was an immigrant. I would conceal my accent, I would try to conceal my parents’ accents and mannerisms, and I would even try to conceal my own immigrant behavior. This meant I could not speak the way I spoke at home, I could not read the way I read at home, and that I gave up all forms of writing in my native mother tongue. Of course, today, I regret not embracing my mother tongue; I can speak it fluently, but I cannot read or write it. English has taken over to become my main language, by means of literacy and linguistics. 

In elementary school, I had perhaps one of the most meaningful moments in my language experience. I had an Indian substitute teacher who had an accent; this was strange to me. I was sacred for her, maybe even embarrassed or worried. How will the white people think of her? I hope the kids don’t make fun of her for the way she talks. Is someone imitating her? I wonder what the adults think of her? These thoughts stormed my brain and caused me the second-hand embarrassment of my own country. There was no pride, only the intense psychological need of wanting to hide where we were from; to become the embodiment of the traditional American citizen. I was running from who I was. 

Her name was Ms. Patel. She had brown skin, long dark hair braided, glasses, and the signature bhindi, or the “red dot”. She spoke in a medium accent, with underlying tones of British English (often the main English medium in India), and she noticed I would rarely speak or try to be seen in class. Hence, she challenged me on this, almost to a point where I thought she despised me. She would force me to come up to the front of the class and practice public speaking by introducing myself. Of course, Ms. Patel enforced this exercise on the rest of the class, but she made me stand there the longest. I was sweating profusely as I was asked to state where I was born and where I was from. My mind was spiraling with thoughts and conclusions of sabotage. Why is she trying to embarrass me? Doesn’t she know that there is no pride in being an immigrant? What if everyone makes fun of me? 

Eventually, I stated that I was born in Bangalore, India. “When did you come to America?” asked the bold substitute. This question was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I was so angry at the fact that she was interrogating me on my immigration and me being an “outcast”. I gulped and said “When I was basically a baby, I grew up here!” in a defensive tone. Ms. Patel finally understood that I was not comfortable admitting that I was a foreigner. I did not have the same privileges as the rest of my American peers and I did not want that to show. I ran back to my desk and sulked for the rest of class until lunch. In that moment, I felt my classmates’ peering eyes on me, looking at me like an object or an imported animal in a zoo. 

In reality, this was all in my head. Ms. Patel didn’t want to embarrass me, she wanted to expose the class to a new culture. My classmates weren’t judging me, rather, they were probably curious of how another country was. Today, I realized I missed so many opportunities that day to share more about my culture and create a positive view on the Indian immigrants. I could have talked about the food, the dances, the colors, the festivals, etc. This would surely have engaged a large classroom of elementary school children. Till date, one of my biggest regrets is not participating in Cultural Heritage Day at my school. I never wore the traditional ethnic Indian attire in front of my peers, nor did I ever let my mother come to pick me up from school in that same form of attire. 

Ms. Patel saw this loud insecurity of mine. She pulled me aside during lunch and asked, “What are you so afraid of?”. I immediately put my apples and sandwich away because I did not want her to notice that I was not eating the Indian bread my mother packed me. As I frantically rearranged my things and kept my head tilted downwards, she realized I was insecure about my oiled hair and my prevailing Indian self amongst other “American” kids. She took a deep breath and told me words that I was never to forget for the rest of my life. “Look at the way I talk and dress, it is not like the people here. But I do not care, I speak English my own way and it is correct. I wear what I want to wear, and that is not wrong either. Be a proud Indian, make your family proud. Stop thinking you do not belong here, you do.” She smiled and left me to be that day. 

I never saw her again, but I remember her words every single day when I step out in public. I walk with my head held high, letting my oiled hair shine in the sun. I wear my ethnic clothing confidently in several social settings where the looks and glares do not bother me. I even mention by myself to people that I am from India with the utmost pride. This drastic change was not sudden, it was something that I had to work on for years, but with Ms. Patel’s words of wisdom, I was able to plant the seed of confidence in myself at an early age. I watered it every day with encouragement, pride, and strength. Today, I like to see myself as the fruit of my labor; my personality and the core of who I am in the real prize. My perspective was changed when Ms. Patel uttered the words mentioning I belonged, which meant my parents belonged, too. I began to use my English skills without the goal of trying to hide my culture, rather, I used my English to start describing my culture to others. I embraced it. I communicated it. I accepted it. 

My name is Hitha. I am from India, and I am a proud immigrant. 

Forms of Supporting Media

Exhibit A: British-built Architecture

This is a depiction of British-built architecture in my hometown. The influence of the British culture also impacted the way we spoke English, with a mix of an Indian and British accent. This impact on Indian culture formed the way my mother and father spoke English, due to the fact that they were schooled in the Oxford schooling system during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. To date, India follows the Oxford English system implemented by Britain colonialism. I feel as though this history explains an important part of my familial background in regards to generational English development. Note: In my narrative, Ms. Patel had underlying tones of British English because she, too, was schooled in the Oxford schooling system in India.   

Exhibit B: Identity by Banni Anand (Rutgers University)

Pictured above is a painting formed by an Indian student at Rutgers University describing her experiences as a foreign child in America. This painting really spoke to me because it reminded me of the facade I put on growing up; I always had to maintain that balance between Western life and Ethic life. I dressed up according to the social culture of the country I lived in; ironically, the country I lived in is made up of several cultures and is built by immigrants. I never realized that until later on in life, and this painting perfectly depicts the “faces” that I often put on in an effort of fitting in, never truly embracing my culture. Today, I am open about who I am and have learned my lessons in why hiding one’s identity robs them of who they are. 

Exhibit C: Meaningful Quotes

“Every aspect of the American economy has profited from the contributions of immigrants.” ~ President John F. Kennedy

This quote explained by President JFK struck me in the sense that it gives value to immigrants. It explains how we are not burdens to the economy. This comforts immigrants in the sense that they too have a role in the economy, and they belong here just as much as anyone else. 

“We the people of this continent are not afraid of foreigners because many of us were once foreigners.” ~ Pope Francis

Pope Francis’ quote regarding how everyone were all once immigrants incites a feeling of mass community. It makes immigrants feel as though they are not the only ones who went through this journey, and that whoever else judges has no right to do so because they and their ancestors, too, were once foreigners. 

“A child on the other side of the border is no less worthy of love and compassion than my own child.” President Barack Obama

Since my narrative advances into the thinking of an immigrant child, this quote by President Obama hit home for me. When he mentions that each child is worthy of love regardless of where they are from, it highlights many issues of how immigration can make children and families feel. It microscopes the immorality in how children lose their innocence the second they realize they do not belong because they are not from here. My narrative delves into one aspect of this issue by examining how I felt growing up as an immigrant child. This particular quote validates that all children are equally worthy of basic human love. At the end of the day, we are all just people. 

Cover Letter

During Phase Two, I learned several things regarding rhetorical analysis and appeal; why writers write how they write and how it affects their audience. The audience chosen for my essay is mainly my peers and educators, as I wanted the composition and understanding level of the writing structure to meet conjunctly with my readers. I made sure to include what the authors did, how they did it, and why they chose to do so. 

Through the process, I gained new knowledge about language and literacy as a whole. I understood that rhetorical appeals matter to the audience; how someone crafts their writing can affect the message they want to put out. Before learning this, throughout my academic career, I never viewed rhetorical analysis and appeal as important. I always saw it as simply a means to unnecessarily analyze literature. But after learning more about it and writing an essay on two influential literary works, I gained a new perspective; I see now that it is important to know where the author is coming from and what they are implying. 

The concept that impacted my learning and writing practices the most were purpose and audience. I believe purpose is one of the most important aspects of writing; if there is no purpose, there is no point to be made. Purpose gives literature emotion, meaning, and importance. Without purpose, the audience has no need to read and understand what the writer is saying. Which then brings me to my next point: audience connects with purpose. Who the writer is writing for is extremely important for the text to have a purpose. The audience’s viewpoint should be tailored into each paragraph. 

In Phase 2, this assignment has helped me “develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing.” and gain strength in my writing. During peer review, I noticed that not only did I get better at revising and editing others’ work, I also became better at looking at my own work through a critical lense. I was able to help others and help myself at the same time, which I think is one of the most valuable things I can gain in this course. Peer review helped change my perspective on how I view writing, and in the end, I become a better writer each time. For example, after reviewing my classmate’s work, I looked at my own essay and noticed where I could change small errors, such as introductory appeals and the conclusion. 

Overall, this phase has truly helped me recognize how and why rhetorical analysis and appeal affects text and audience. The message can only be conveyed properly if the messenger is adequate. I enjoyed analyzing the two essays chosen and I learned new things during the process, which to me, is an important goal in this course.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay: Tan and Cunningham

It is always the immigrant speaker that consistently stands out in the American crowd, as his/her incorrect grammar catches the eye of every spectator watching. In Amy Tan’s article “Mother Tongue,” she shows how different people speak the same language in different ways. Tan’s own mother was discriminated against because she speaks a dialect of English that differs from the norm. She employs rhetorical appeals such as pathos, ethos, and logos to inform the English-speaking community about the variations between different languages. Foreigners and immigrants who do not speak perfect English, according to Tan’s “Mother Tongue,” are treated differently. The main purpose of Tan’s essay is to inform readers about the struggles of an immigrant speaker and connect to an audience who grew up as the children of immigrants. She intends to emphasize that there is more to language than just accents and grammar; there is passion, purpose, and emotion involved in each incorrect sentence formed. 

In the essay African American language Is Not Good English, Dr. Jennifer M. Cunningham makes an excellent point on the nature of the African American language. Cunningham, similar to Tan, describes how, as a result of social stigmatization, uncommon language has an inferiority mentality. She believes that Standard American English and African American language are on an equal footing. Both authors, Tan and Cunningham, establish credibility, invoke emotional appeals, and offer logical facts to persuade the literary experts. 

Tan claims that a person’s IQ is not determined by their ability to speak English fluently. She tells accounts of her and her mother’s experiences with discrimination, using vivid language. Tan’s essay is written in a conversational and anecdotal style; she writes in the first person and she incorporates many personal experiences, mostly to strengthen her argument and to demonstrate that the topic is highly significant to her. Her tone is reflective due to the moments she often reflects on. Tan quotes her mother’s comments as she narrates a story about her mother having difficulties with the hospital due to lingual barriers, “‘Why he don’t send me check?… So mad he lie to me, losing me money.’ And then I said in perfect English…”. Tan entices the listener to her point of view with appealing pathos; she reflects on how the situation unfolded and demonstrates how her mother’s English influenced the outcome of the problem. The writer believes that using adjectives like “broken” to talk about her mother’s English limits societal ideas of her mother, and she goes a step further to introduce her own English as “perfect”. 

Tan’s essay is also agitated and angry at times, which makes it relevant and showcases her enthusiasm about equality. This is evident not only in her mother’s account about her problems at the hospital, but also in her descriptions of her teachers. She speculates that teachers may play a role in encouraging Asian-American students to choose careers in engineering rather than writing, which displays her use of logos. She provides statistics indicating that a substantial proportion of Chinese students choose careers in engineering instead of writing or literature. 

The writer then uses ethos when she mentions her credibility in the matter, “But it wasn’t until 1985 that I finally began to write fiction… I wrote using what I thought to be wittily crafted sentences, sentences that would finally prove I had mastery over the English language.” (Tan). The writer indicates her professional experience is expert enough for her to be passionate and driven in her topic. Tan’s introspective, passionate, and conversational tones indicate she is writing the essay not just for herself, but as well as the educated society she is trying to persuade into the path of equal respect. She writes the essay from her own experiences of being an immigrant child without any other biases, because her tale is the story of many other immigrant children who grew up like her.

Dr. Jennifer M. Cunningham also tells a similar story with similar values. Due to the proposed matter that African American language is technically not English, Cunningham feels that it is neither good nor bad English. She claims that African American English is simply another language that certain people have learnt; the removal of some verbs, as well as the sound of words, are what distinguishes it. Cunningham states that “… teachers, in particular, are more likely to correct errors related to African American Language, which is why teachers, professionals”, demonstrating how quickly teachers disregard things they are unfamiliar with. She also connects to her audience by displaying a tactical use of pathos; Cunningham states her own opinions of the topic and relates with personal thinking; rather than dismissing the AAE dialect, people should learn and take the time to understand how AAL differs from Standard American English and is not a subset of it. She also exemplifies cultural attitudes toward African American languages by demonstrating that teachers regard English as the “standard” for education, instead of other languages. Cunningham illustrates how society wrongly views a different methodology towards the speech of English.

Both writers, Tan and Cunningham, delve into the restrictions society bounds on what language is defined as; never does it lift the restrictions and let people feel language. Tan showcases her own mother’s struggle to her audience to obtain the goal of publicly stating the injustices foreign speakers face, whilst Cunning, similarly, separates English and African-American English to their own different respects so each language is viewed at the same level of intelligence. To persuade the literary experts, both authors, Tan and Cunningham, establish credibility, evoke emotional appeals, and give logical facts. They want to underline that language is much more than just accents and syntax; each erroneous sentence contains passion, meaning, and emotion. Each human is valued with the same perspective and respect as any other being; language should never be a barrier, rather, it should be a unifier. 

Works Cited 

Cunningham, Jennifer M. “2.7: African American Language Is Not Good English.” Humanities LibreTexts, Libretexts, 7 Aug. 2020, https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Solano_Community_College/Bad_Ideas_About_Writing/02%3A_Bad_Ideas_About_Who_Good_Writers_are_…/2.07%3A_African_American_Language_is_not_Good_English. 

Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” Dreams and Inward Journeys: A Rhetoric and Reader for Writers, edited by Marjorie Ford and Jon Ford, 7th ed., Pearson, 2010, pp.

Cover Letter

In Phase 3, I had the privilege to complete a research paper on the topic of my choice. My chosen topic was linguicism and sociolinguistics. This topic was very near and dear to my heart because my family and I personally went through linguistic bias and racism. This research paper helped me learn more about an issue that is still prevalent in today’s society, sadly. Yet, at the same time, I found solutions that can be implemented into daily interactions. By far, this paper has been my most favorite that I have written. 

My main audience in this research paper were non-native speakers, as well as my professor in my letter format. I tailored my language to appeal to my audience in such a way that I mainly used an academic tone whilst incorporating a personal tone as well; I mainly stuck to the research evidence and explanations, but I also connected my own experiences and thoughts with the subject. I made sure that my tone was credible with enough literary evidence to back up my claims, which in turn, led to a stronger paper. 

Through the process of completing this assignment, I have gained several meaningful insights regarding language and literacy. My research skills strengthened, as well as my writing skills. I noticed my sentences became more thoughtful and complex, and my writing became more eloquent. I found that I am easily able to write more in quantity and, more importantly, match it with quality. This phase emphasized my literary control and creativity, two skills that pair very well with each other. I also saw my language became more academic and credible; the more I wrote, I noticed I wrote with meaning. 

The concepts that impacted my writing the most in this phase are argumentative evidence and purpose. I was privileged enough to have a meaningful purpose towards my audience in this paper, and I was able to present argumentative evidence in ways I previously never had the opportunity to. My arguing skills became better, as well as my ability to present evidence. Since my purpose was strong, so were my argumentative skills, including the evidence I chose to present besides my claims. 

This phase helped me achieve the following course learning outcome: “Recognize the role of language attitudes and standards in empowering, oppressing, and hierarchizing languages and their users, and be open to communicating across different languages and cultures”. There were moments throughout the assignments in which I gained further knowledge on the diversity of language. When I would be working on the paper, I would often think back on my childhood and my current experiences as a college student; I reflected on the people I met throughout my life with different lingual backgrounds and the difficulties they faced. I noticed that all these people were somehow empowered through their linguistic (and other) oppressions. In class, I would notice some of my peers had accents, and regardless, their writing was excellent. This phase helped me truly reflect on the role that language plays in our society today, and I feel very thankful that I was able to write a paper that examined this topic.

Hitha Harish

The Towers at CCNY

Harlem, New York, 10027

November 18, 2021

Professor Hamlet

The City College of New York

Harlem, New York, 10027

Dear Professor,

I would like to write a letter discussing linguicism, sociolinguistics, and the effects of linguistic discrimination many immigrants and non-native English speakers face. My goal in this letter is to present statistical evidence and display the ideologies distributed by credible authors and their research regarding this particular topic. My inspiration for this research paper began when I first noticed as a child that the French accent was always viewed as “fancy”, whilst my parent’s traditional Indian accents were viewed as “funny”. Growing up in a standard American society, where the modern English accent was held as the default expectation, I never had the chance to realize early on that English doesn’t have to sound a certain way. Today, I understand that there are many other factors that influence the prejudice against accents, often referred to as “linguicism”, such as money and immigrational background. Dialects are always stigmatized under the basis of linguistic discrimination due to socioeconomic status and geographical origin with underlying tones of historical influence. In my analysis, I examine how accentism and linguistic racism are induced by societal bias, as well as in which manners they can negatively impact those who are victimized by these social challenges. It is important to educate more people about the ethical issues as well as inspect the root causes of how these issues form. 

Linguicism is “discrimination based on language or dialect” (ThoughtCo.) and is often seen in the workplace, educational environments, and social settings where speaking takes place. The core issue of this problem stems from the base ideologies of what exactly English is. People perceive English as an American or British language, but it is not. English is the standard global language, and unsurprisingly, it developed into different forms and dialects as the use of the language was spread throughout various countries and cultures. Yet, there seems to be no embrace of this linguistic diversity because English is viewed as a predominantly Caucasian language. Christine Ro, writer and editor for Worklife, mentions in her 2021 article, The Pervasive Problem of ‘Linguistic Racism’, about internal linguicism, including the linguistic stereotyping that takes place based on geographical advantages and ethnic racism. “‘When English is spoken by some Europeans, including for example French-, German-, Italian-accented English, they can be considered really cute, sophisticated, stylish, [etc.], [but], English spoken by Asians, Africans or Middle Easterners may be viewed as challenging and unpleasant.’” (Ro, Worklife). Society’s perception of race feeds into linguistic racism, as wealthier and developed countries are seen as “luxurious” whilst poorer and developing countries are seen as problematic. Socioeconomic status seemingly takes a prevalent role when society judges an individual’s credibility based on their ability to surpass language barriers. 

Accentism, another synonym of linguicism, easily takes place within 30 seconds when first interacting with another individual, according to author Dr. Pragya Agarwal. In her 2018 Forbes article, Accent Bias: How Can We Minimize Discrimination In The Workplace?, she mentions issues regarding linguistic profiling and bias. “We form a hierarchical view of accents as per societal and cultural acceptability, and assign values such as pleasantness and prestige but also intelligence.” (Agarwal, Forbes). An individual’s intellect is often judged through their lingual capability, which is unfair to those who work hard to obtain personal goals. In the workplace, diversity in accents is not often welcome, rather, it is a barrier to career development. Several interviewers have admitted that they count an accent against an individual based on the worry that there can be verbal miscommunication in projects, tasks, and public speaking. Agarwal later on mentions standard language ideology, which means that society only validates dialects with the highest social prestige. Author Rosina Lippi-Greene wrote in her 2009 Cambridge University Press research paper, Accent, standard language ideology, and discriminatory pretext in the courts, about the effects of linguicism in court battles regarding workplace discrimination. Lippi-Greene brought up the standard language ideology issue near the end of her paper, “Given the way schools, the broadcast and print media, the entertainment industry, and employers work together to promote a [standard language] ideology, the education of the public is both a lonely and a difficult task” (188, Cambridge University Press). The English language is advertised in a certain mannerism which sets the foundation for an unspoken degree of a particular accent to be upheld. This degree can affect the lives of millions of individuals and several aspects of their lives; jobs can become harder to obtain, the primary and secondary education systems become barriers for higher education, and discrimination develops into an unsettling normalcy that people have to simply adjust to. Perception and bias about sociolinguistics are two key influences that drive linguistic discrimination; people’s judgemental thoughts lead to unjust consequences faced by non-native speakers. 

Linguicism can be implemented as a standard bias into humans, including developmental childhood stages. In schools, ethic-accent prejudice seems to be highly prevalent amongst students and teachers, even in other countries. In some countries, international schools tend to value the colonized versions of English; “‘in many post-colonial countries like Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and India, schools insist on teaching British or American English… Sri Lankan, Chinese, or Indian English are censored from classroom use.’” (ThoughtCo.). From a student’s perspective, Sharada Viswanath entails her and her peers’ experiences regarding accentism in her 2019 article, Mocking accents spreads unjust, offensive stereotypes, published in The Harbinger. Vishwanath brings an excellent point mentioning how when people make fun of British accents, they do it with the intention of making the accent sound overly posh, but when people do the same with non-European accents, they intend to make it sound unrefined. “‘minority groups are treated lower in society and their accents are associated with something undesirable.’” (Vishwanath, The Harbinger). Minorities usually have mild to medium accents, notably if they are first or second-generation, and due to this, they face discrimination of their cultural background. Furthermore, immigrants from developing countries often face a more difficult time adjusting to the American ideals of English, especially within the education system where peers and teachers belittle their different lingual methodology, rather than embracing and aiding in its growth. Amy Lutz, a well-known professor and researcher, discusses the disadvantages Latino youth face drawn from linguistic barriers in her 2007 article, Barriers to High-School Completion Among Immigrant and Later-Generation Latinos in the USA: Language, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status, published in Ethnicities. Lutz delves into a more central way to look at the problem of linguicism and socioeconomic status; she displays that “the linguistic barrier is not as high as the socioeconomic barrier and indeed is explained by the ethnic/socioeconomic barriers to high-school completion among Mexican-origin youth” (Ethnicities). Even though language can be a barrier in the American education system, when it is combined with socioeconomic status, the chances of immigrant youth completing their schooling decreases further. The seed of bias and it’s consequential fruit is often borne by the non-native speaking children who eventually grow to become adults without the same advantages as their native-speaker peers.

Furthermore, prejudice against lingual barriers has been prevalent for a long time, so much so that it begins seriously affecting immigrant children, not just adults. Many children and older youth of Hispanic and/or Latino backgrounds struggle in the U.S. education system due to language barriers. The system does not accommodate a bi-lingual learning perspective, and it can be difficult for children to adapt to two different types of learning environments. An article was written by researchers and writers, Erin Bumgarner and Lin Meiko, “Hispanic Immigrant Children’s English Language Acquisition: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Early Care,” regarding how early childhood education (ECE) can aid Hispanic children in English language proficiency, as well as how their socioeconomic status (SES) impacts their fluency in language and literacy. They found in their studies that a majority of first and second-generation youth who usually struggle with language benefit from an early childhood education program, which in turn can lead to better literacy and language skills for them to be proficient in English. Yet, interestingly, they found that children from lower-income backgrounds benefit the most and perform better than the children from higher-income backgrounds. This can be a possible solution to the problems regarding the language barriers most children from various cultural backgrounds face. Especially if the child is a first-generation immigrant, because it can be burdensome to have poor English proficiency and navigate one’s way through America. But the question still remains: what about their accent? The prejudice and judgment still stem from having a foreign accent but dependent on place of origin, which seems unfair and unjust to many immigrants who work hard to come to America and build a life. 

Although, based on the article previously mentioned by Erin Bumgarner and Lin Meiko, it can be argued that ESL and accent training programs can aid in the lack of English proficiency. It is true that there are such programs that aim to tailor clients into becoming more “American” and fix students’ English-speaking skills. But this problem is not rooted in simple grammatical errors or a clearer speech pathology, it is stemmed into the minds of individuals who inhabit a privileged society. Non-native speakers of English struggle to meet with the demands of the native-speaking society; the obstacles they face during the process are certainly grueling. Job opportunities decline, educational excellence is lower, societal integration becomes more difficult, and all these issues lead to them getting stuck in a loop of a low-quality lifestyle which then becomes a generational problem. The key solution presented is perhaps the only option; perspectives must be changed. Employers should be more open to diverse candidates during the hiring process, teachers should not enforce the standard English expectations upon non-native speakers, peers should become more inviting of immigrants, and society should become more aware of why accentisim can ruin a prosperous economy and a morally just civilization. 

I truly hope this letter shined a light on a common issue that is often overlooked. Perhaps it can entail some change in societal thinking, no matter how minute it may be. English is never a solid construct, and neither is language. It can come in all forms, shapes, and sizes, just like people. My childhood showed me ways to hide my accent because of a social expectation I was trying to fit into, but as a fully grown woman today, I see that I was never the only one. This is the story of millions of immigrants and non-native speakers; I aim to be part of the progressive change and embrace my background. Even though it is too late to alter my accent, I can be a contributing member of society by accepting the various forms of English I come across in my life. There is no standard accent for English, yet unfortunately, there is a standard expectation that has been developed by socioeconomic hierarchies and immigrational opposition. In conclusion, sociolinguistic factors such as wealth and place of origin should never define who a person is or give prejudice against their linguistic intellect. We are all human beings who deserve equal respect and value regardless of the factors previously mentioned. Language is felt, never spoken.

Sincerely,

Hitha Harish

Student at The City College of New York

Works Cited

Agarwal, Dr. Pragya. “Accent Bias: How Can We Minimize Discrimination in the Workplace?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 June 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2018/12/30/bias-is-your-accent-holding-you-back/?sh=719637be1b5a.

Bumgarner, Erin, and Meiko Lin. “Hispanic Immigrant Children’s English Language Acquisition: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Early Care Arrangement.” Early education and development 25.4 (2014): 515–529. Web.

Lutz, Amy. “Barriers to High-School Completion Among Immigrant and Later-Generation Latinos in the USA: Language, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status.” Ethnicities 7.3 (2007): 323–342. Web.

Lippi-Green, Rosina. “Accent, Standard Language Ideology, and Discriminatory Pretext in the Courts.” Language in Society, vol. 23, no. 2, Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 163–98, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4168513.

Nordquist, Richard. “What Is Linguicism (or Linguistic Discrimination)?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 13 Apr. 2017,

Ro, Christine. “The Pervasive Problem of ‘Linguistic Racism’.” BBC Worklife, BBC, 3 June 2021, https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210528-the-pervasive-problem-of-linguistic-racism.

Vishwanath, Sharada. “Mocking Accents Spreads Unjust, Offensive Stereotypes.” THE ALGONQUIN HARBINGER, The Harbinger, 29 May 2019, https://arhsharbinger.com/18714/opinion/mocking-accents-spreads-unjust-offensive-stereotypes/. 

My Progression As A Writer…

In this class, I have gained several skills through obtaining the learning objectives defined for this class. I feel as though I have been able to better express myself in terms of how well I am able to communicate emotion to my readers, and also how well I am able to illustrate an untold narrative. Not only have I developed as a writer, but I have also developed as a thinker. So far, I have been able to do the following: recognize the empowerment of language, analyze writing, revise with peers, address my audience through different uses of media, research with useful sources and databases, argue my stance, and cite systematically. These skills are very valuable to me because I am able to use them in my professional career and networking; writing and language are powerful tools that the world uses to maintain human compassion. 

The first major essay written for this course would be the Phase 1 WLLN Essay. In this essay, I was able to describe my own personal background with language and literacy. I discussed the struggles I faced as an immigrant child with an ethnic homelife, which I would often be ashamed of. This paper let me practice connecting with my audience through the means of storytelling. One of the most powerful quotes from this assignment that I’ve written is “My name is Hitha. I am from India, and I am a proud immigrant”. I chose to end my paper this way because I believe it connects with my readers in the strongest way possible; it concludes the essay with a statement of who I am. This phase allowed me to open my mind towards different usage of linguistics and communication; I learned more about other ways of living and speaking English. 

During Phase 2 of this course, I was able to see how the empowerment of language can affect the lives of several people. We analyzed Amy Tan’s Mother Tongue, and in that piece, we saw the struggles that language barriers can implicate. In my Phase 2 rhetorical analysis essay, I analyzed writing, rhetorical devices, and genres. I was also able to become better at peer review sessions, which in turn aided my writing skills. I also compared and contrasted Tan to another author’s work, Dr. Jennifer M. Cunningham, and by doing so, I built argumentative skills and became more confident in my proposals of evidence. I ended my Phase 2 essay with the quote “Each human is valued with the same perspective and respect as any other being; language should never be a barrier, rather, it should be a unifier.” This quote showcases my understanding of the empowerment of language to my readers and the knowledge I have obtained through the analysis of the given texts. 

Phase 3 was my most valuable phase in this course. The research paper topic was chosen by me; linguisicm and sociolinguistics. This is a topic I am very passionate about and I feel grateful that I was able to write a research paper on it; I have spent the most time and effort on this paper than any other paper I have written in this course. I developed my research skills by looking at several sources and databases including 30-page research studies, books written by scholars, and government statistics. Because of such sources, I also learned how to cite systematically in MLA format; my works cited page was structured and organized alphabetically. The most interesting part about this paper was that it had to be written in a letter format, so I was able to directly address my audience in my way of choosing. This essay had the most passion and purpose poured into it; I stated “Perhaps [this letter] can entail some change in societal thinking, no matter how minute it may be.” I argue my stance with the utmost confidence (mainly built through the previous two phases) and made sure I was clearly conveying my point to my readers. 

In all three of my cover letters, I have continuously stated why purpose is so important in my writing because, without purpose, words mean nothing. I have noticed such a dramatic change in progress in each of these cover letters. In my Phase 3 cover letter, I stated “I found that I am easily able to write more in quantity and, more importantly, match it with quality”. This quote is so important because, throughout my academic career, I was never able to do such a thing. Writing in large amounts of quality always seemed impossible to me, until I took this class. I am able to write more and write better. This is a skill I will always be grateful for in this class. Another discovery I have made in this class is the value of cover letters. I never viewed cover letters as a crucial part of an essay, but after writing three of them, I now see why it is necessary for most essays. I am able to write better cover letters to introduce my readers to the essay they are about to read and give them some navigation into my essay topic. Such skills are vital to my writing career.

In conclusion, this course has taught me so much and has made me a better writer, thinker, and person. Coming from an immigrant background, language and the acceptance of various sociolinguistics was always a foreign concept to me. But, in this class, I learned more about how it is acceptable to embrace different types of language and accept people for who they are and where they come from. Due to the outcome of this course, I am able to recognize the empowerment of language, analyze writing, revise with peers, address my audience through different uses of media, research with useful sources and databases, argue my stance, and cite systematically. These skills will surely stick with me for the rest of my life and I am very thankful that I was able to take a class that has changed me so much. 

Thank you, Professor.