We all have identities and the way we identify is unique to our own selves, our own experiences, perspectives, preferences, and our sense of belonging. God created everyone to be unique and different, we should be faithful to ourselves, and make good use of our freedom to make prudent choices.
Recently, the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival screened two films, from Hong Kong and Japan, about the deaf, showing how the deaf and their children (Children of the Deaf, CODA) struggle to find their identities, the best way to be themselves. As Adam Wong, the Hong Kong director and screenwriter of one of these two films, “The Way We Talk,” said, “I want to bring out the message of respecting everyone’s choice, and the relationship between self-preservation and integration into society, through the situation of the deaf in Hong Kong.”
“The Way We Talk” features three deaf young people. Zi Shun has been a deaf person since he was a child, regards sign language as his mother tongue, and dreams of becoming a diving instructor. He is proud of being a deaf. Alan, Zi Shun’s elementary school classmate and good friend, knowing some sign language, however, chooses to implant a cochlear implant and learn spoken language in order to communicate with others and integrate in the hearing society. He speaks fluently and works hard towards the goal of a successful photographer. So Yan, a girl who is hard of hearing, also implanted a cochlear implant, who under pressure from her mother, actively integrates into society. After graduating from university, she and Alan were selected as “Cochlear Implant Ambassadors”. Her dream is to become a professional actuary. But even though she is employed by a well-known insurance company, she feels that she is just a “mascot” or a decoration signifying the inclusiveness of the company, without really being appreciated and able to make good use of her ability. She was torn between being a “deaf person” and a “normal person”. By chance, So Yan starts learning sign language from Alan and then from Zi Shun. They became good friends but they also have conflicts and disagreements. In their delicate relationship, sign language allowed them to break down the barriers. So Yan seriously considers whether she should live out her true self through using sign language and looking for another job which is more meaningful to her. She asked herself: Should I continue pretending to be a “normal person”?
The three youths have their stories, experiences and challenges. They represent three different lifestyles and choices of young deaf people, embarking on a journey about self-worth and identity. The deaf community is very diverse – native speakers of sign language, completely deaf or hard of hearing, born or acquired; deaf identity is by no means a simple issue, and discussions around “language” are at the core. Nevertheless, the three youths ask the same questions: “Who am I?”, “What kind of person do I want to be?” and “How can I achieve my goal?” These are also questions that virtue ethicists often ask. The encounter of the three youth leads them to look for their self-identity, desire and means of achieving their dreams. They study, attend training courses and use their skills to earn a living, hoping to get closer to their dreams.
In Hong Kong, based on the statistics of the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Government, there were 47,900 persons with hearing difficulty in 2021, that is, those who perceived themselves as having “a lot of long-term difficulty” in hearing or “cannot hear at all” with one ear or both ears even when using a hearing aid if necessary at the time of enumeration.[1] However, according to the definition of World Health Organization, disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear. Then, there are 200,000 more persons who are considered as hearing impairment. This is because there were 246,200 persons who perceived themselves as having long-term difficulty in hearing in a quiet environment or using specialized hearing aids/tools at the time of enumeration. This is also the statistics employed by the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf. It worries that the underestimation of the number of hearing impairment may affect the accurate allocation of resources by the government to the hearing-impaired people in need.[2] In the global world, over 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (including 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or 1 in every 10 people – will have disabling hearing loss.[3]
It is true that people with different levels of hearing loss have to overcome different kinds of challenges and obstacles, such as misunderstanding, discrimination and even bullying in schools, working environment and daily life, due to the lack of assistance, such as sign language interpretation, and other kinds of support. But many deaf people are proud of their deaf identity too. A deaf identity is about acknowledging the hearing loss, learning new ways to interact (and possibly some new skills) and being proud of what makes one different to hearing people, but also different from other deaf people. The film does not emphasize so much on inability to hear, but focuses on the seeing and speaking of the daily lives of the deaf people which is often neglected by the hearing people.
What I appreciate most is that the focus of this film is not only presenting the disadvantaged status of the deaf community in mainstream society. The film would rather show their confidence and dreams in a natural and humble way. Itencourages the public to understand and acknowledge the “deaf culture” at a deeper level, and to urge the deaf of different kinds to rediscover their identities. The film urges me, and probably other audiences, to reflect on the willingness of the hearing people to understand and appreciate the deaf culture and how to respect and affirm their dignity and freedom of choice. We would definitely resonate with and willing to extend our solidarity to them if we have empathy.
Thus, in addition to identity, “choice”, “integration” and “respect” are also key words in this film. Can the deaf have freedom and resources to make their own choice for the wellbeing of their future? Are they respected and able to integrate in society? The story tells us that sign language was repressed after the advent of artificial earlobes and hearing aid technology, seen by some school teachers and parents as rude and hindering the integration of deaf people into society. But some hard of hearing people feel using sign language as more comfortable and natural, easier to express themselves. Parents and teachers should try to respect the choice of those with hearing impairment in terms of choice of language and lifestyle. Meanwhile, more support should be provided to them so that they can strengthen their capability and able to make a good choice for the goodness of their future.
Although the film is ostensibly a story about deaf people, in fact, the choice of language, culture and lifestyle, and goal of life can be applied to different marginalized groups or people from different walks of life.
For people in Hong Kong, in general, many are struggling to affirm and preserve the Hong Kong culture and identity, under the grand notion of national identity. We all face different kinds of challenges: Can we choose our sense of belonging, the ways of expression, or the diversity of lifestyles? How should we respond to other people’s expectations? What if we have a choice, what kind of life do we want to live? The film gives us hope and encouragement, telling us to follow the voices in our hearts meanwhile we should respect other people’s conditions and choices. As director Adam Wong said in an interview, “Walking on a narrow road, one has to experience the struggles and try to find the best way to be oneself. When I find myself and be myself, this value is above all else.”
As Christians, in respond to God’s unconditional love to us, we should share this love with others through enabling the deaf and other people who struggle to make discernment and be themselves without judgement.
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[1] Census and Statistics Department, the Hong Kong Government, “Special Topics Report No. 63 – Persons with disabilities and chronic diseases,” December 2021.
[2] The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, “The Hong Kong Society for the Welfare of the Deaf requests the Census and Statistics Department to continue to use the internationally recognized definition of hearing impairment as the statistical standard,” 29 September, 2022, https://www.deaf.org.hk/ch/deaf_rights_details.php?id=479&cate=news.
[3] World Health Organization, “Deaf and Hearing Loss,” 2 February 2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss.