Accent on Acceptance

Submitted by MoniqueW on May 11, 2007 - 8:18pm. ::

This is my take on the practice of accent elimination.
I thought getting rid of my accent would be an accomplishment. I soon realized I was losing a lot more.

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I can't help but think of an
Submitted by David B Erickson on May 18, 2007 - 5:01pm.

I can't help but think of an interview Terry Gross did with C.C.H. Pounder, the actress of British Caribbean descent. She told the story of being treated courteously by Americans, as long as she had her British-inflected accent. It wasn't until she picked up an American accent--and was therefore seen as an American black--that she was subjected to racial slurs.

But everybody has their own take on this subject, and my congratulations and respect to you for deciding to keep something that is obviously important to you and your family.

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CCH Pounder
Submitted by MoniqueW on May 22, 2007 - 1:38pm.

CCH Pounder is from the same place I am but she spent many of her formative years in England, thus the British-inflected accent, rather than a straight Caribbean accent like I have.
And I do think a lot of people (not just Americans) are dazzled by the British accent, regardless of the race of the speaker. (Maybe it's because they export such great film and television product!)
So I think Pounder's experience was influenced by the fact that her early accent WAS "British-inflected."

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This is what (how) I am talking about!
Submitted by Steve Stokes on May 12, 2007 - 9:54am.

MW,

I wanted to hear that last name you mentioned more than once... what a tease.

Listen to my audio, you'll know how hard I have had to work to keep my original accent living in this foreign land for the last 34 years or so. (o.k. so I made peace with myself for staying here long ago, but still I love my accent.)

http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/2345

Steve

Ultimately the paradoxes of life make fools of us all. So if we would be wise we should study life's paradoxes and confront our abject foolishness head on.

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Accent on Acceptance
Submitted by Lydia Walker on May 12, 2007 - 5:45am.

Acceptance to me is tantamount to democracy. Valuable insights would be gained from a discussion of how superficial things like "talking funny" become barriers to relationship.

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