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 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 07 || July, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

   
The Deaf Immigrant Odyssey: Sacrifices, Loss and Reconciliation 

 

Danielle Thompson* 

Abstract 
This article interrogates the significance of identity to Deaf immigrants, and how their sense of 

identity transforms when they immigrate to a capitalist nation such as the United States.This 

article will further examine the “outsider within” among Deaf immigrants seeking to integrate 

into the Deaf world of the United States, feelings of isolation, and how Deaf immigrants can 

reconcile this new sense of identity with themselves.Immigration is a complex bio-psycho-social 

process and the immigrant has a truly complex task in navigating a new and often unfamiliar 

world. The immigration experience may cause aperson to abandon their motherland, which 

causes deep disturbance within the self, as well as disequilibrium in emotional development. 

Keywords:  identity, immigration, integration, reconciliation. 

  
 
Sacrifices of Immigration 
 
 Immigrants to the United States come for various reasons. A majority of the 

contemporary immigrants are escaping war and violence. Other immigrants seek better 

opportunities for their families and the middle class dream: home ownership and adequate 

education for their children. Deaf immigrantsoften migrate to the United States in search of 

better employment opportunities and to escape language oppression.  Language oppression is not 

to be confused with language deprivation. Language oppression is the phenomenon when a 

person is denied the right to use a language of their choice as it is believed to be an inferior 

language.  Sign language is not celebrated in many developed countries, and Deaf persons are 

denied the right to use sign language (United Nations, 2019).  

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

Immigrants arrive to a new country with a plethora of knowledge, experiences, and family 

history.  Often, factors of socio-economic status in their home country givethem their personal 

identity.  However, when the immigrants arrive in a new country, they must sacrifice their old 

social and professional status to survive.  For example, it is not uncommon for Deaf individuals 

from another country to be an attorney for the local government office in their native country and 

find themselves working as a teacher’s aide in a suburban high school upon settling in the United 

States, or to be an electrical engineer in Central or South America and end up employed as a 

construction worker here in the United States (Mann, 2016). 

 Deaf immigrants from non-European countries are an invisible and forgotten community.  

The numbers of Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean immigrants to America, immigrants from 

sub-Saharan Africa, Chinese immigrants from mainland China are growing. The 2001 United 

States Bureau of Census reported nearly 2.8 million foreign born immigrants who arrived from 

the Caribbean region (Guy, 2002). Yet, these groups of immigrants remain invisible and the 

primary focus has been on European individuals who immigrate to the United States.  

 Economic reality and patterns of immigration can be attributed to labor migration.  

Individuals migrating from poorer countries to wealthier ones, such as the United States, is the 

predominant pattern of immigration that exists in the Western hemisphere (Taylor et al., 2017). 

Education, Acculturation and Identity 

One of the most central tenets of immigration discourse is the idea that immigrants are hard 

working, will enter the labor market with a desire to work hard and get ahead, and that they will 

have a strong urge to assimilate.  The classic immigration model is based on the European 

immigration experience, and assumes immigrants come to the United States with cultural values 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

that are similar to those held by white Americans: work hard, play by the rules, occupy a social 

position subordinate to that of the majority of middle class Americans and eventually begin to 

assimilate, merge and become “American" (Lee et al., 2017).  

A large body of research on language, culture and ethnography has shown that for non-white 

individuals immigrating to the United states, for example, the European immigration model does 

not work for them.  Black Americans' African ancestors did not immigrate in the same sense as 

Europeans did to America.  Africansarrived in the United States through force and were sold as 

slaves.  As a result, African-Americans occupy a social status below that of whites and have 

found it difficult to assimilate with European American society (Tambiah, 2017).  Immigrants of 

color, especially from English speaking nations like Trinidad and Tobago, still take pride in their 

home countries. Often, English-speaking Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean immigrants 

idealize their home culture by expressing a sense satisfaction from being able to legally 

immigrate to America, and also being able to find legal employment upon arrival. This specific 

group of immigrants tends to value education and economic success as a measure of working 

hard versus seeking prestigious occupations. Moreover, they do not emphasize their POC 

(Person of Color) identities, rather they favor their national identities, e.g. Trinidadian-American, 

Guyanese-American, Surinamese-American, et cetera (Guy, 2016). 

Acculturation Issues 

Immigrants from non-white countries do not arrive in the United States as empty cultural vessels 

waiting to be Americanized.  They come with their perceptions, images and values on issues of 

race, class and gender shaped by their home countries. Non-white immigrants display multiple 

forms of identity related to the diverse racial, ethnic, and urban areas they occupy.  For the 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

majority of these non-white immigrants, incorporation into American society has two parts: 1) 

most immigrants are integrated into the service and education sectors of the US economy, and 2) 

given that American society places race as a fundamental factor into society, many non-white 

immigrants are placed in locations that are socially isolated (Daneshvary&Schwer, 1994). 

American Deaf Culture 

Dr. Thomas Holcomb’s book “Introduction to American Deaf Culture” has highlighted the 

various perspectives of the Deaf community.  There are two perspectives, the “pathological 

model” and the “Cultural Model”.  The pathological model is the same as the medical model. It 

is where the values of persons who can hear is superior to those who are Deaf. This view is often 

held by non-Deaf persons wanting to interact with the Deaf community on a professional basis 

(Humphries, 1977).  It is also the view of this model that Deaf people have something wrong 

with them and needs to be “fixed” (Cripps & Small 2016).It is a negative perception of Deaf 

persons. This pathological view defines the Deaf community as a group of persons whose 

deafness interferes with the normal reception of speech and therefore are not normal because 

they cannot hear (Holcomb, 2016).The word “audism” arose from this view and it is aligned with 

the views of racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism (Bergey& Gannon, 2016; Gannon, 1981).  

 The cultural view is where a group of persons share a common mean of communication, 

sign language that provides cohesion and identity.  It is also viewed as a group of persons who 

view the world visually (i.e. see things) and those whose primary means of relating to the world 

is visual and who share a language that is visually received (Tuccoli, 2009). 

 

 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

Dealing with Feelings of Loss 

Immigrants suffer four basic losses when migrating to a new country. These losses are: 1) loss of 

mastery of surroundings, 2) loss of friends and family networks, 3) loss of language if from a 

non-English speaking country migrating to USA, and 4) loss of everyday life and familiarity. 

Deaf immigrants suffer different types of basic losses, 1) loss of mastery of surroundings, 2) loss 

of language if from a non-English speaking country migrating to USA, 3) loss of everyday life 

and familiarity, and 4) if they have a strong network of friends and family back in their home 

country, they will have feelings of loss of family and friends. An additional challenge for Deaf 

immigrants is the feeling of despair (Schama, 2017). Oftentimes Deaf immigrants connect with 

other Deaf Americans, however, they instantly recognize they are “outsiders within” –they are 

Deaf like Deaf Americans, however, they do not have the same Deaf culture norms as Deaf 

Americans. For example, such immigrants may not value attending a school for the Deaf in their 

home countries, not having Deaf parents who are proud to be from a Deaf family, or not 

knowing ASL (American Sign Language) as much as Deaf Americans emphasize. 

Self-Reconciliation Among Deaf Immigrants 

Immigrants who are self reconciling are learning how to hold the two realities: what has been 

lost as an immigrant migrating to USA and what has been gained. The accomplishments do not 

replace the losses but they go together to help the immigrant feel more whole. 

Deaf immigrants self reconcile in the same manner as non-deaf immigrants from non-white 

countries, however, deaf immigrants must be given the opportunity to validate their difficulties 

of their journey as being Deaf within the American Deaf society, which can be hostile socially at 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

times and provide a therapeutic breathing space for reconciling the different parts of themselves 

and healing.  

Suggestions: 

What can Deaf American educators learn from Deaf immigrants and do to assist them with 

succeeding in schools and in the community? 

1. Acknowledge cultural differences among Deaf immigrants: They are 

significant differences among Deaf immigrants. Deaf immigrants from non-

white countries choose to come to the United States for a variety of reasons, 

often unrelated to religion or religious persecution. 

2. Cultural Adjustments vary among Deaf immigrants:  Immigrants from English 

speakingcountries are not struggling with language challenges, however, 

maybe struggling with why it is necessary to “pick” a cultural or ethnic group 

to belong.  Many of these immigrants do not believe they are part of the 

melting pot in United States, but instead they try to navigate the American 

workforce or educational system. 

3. Valuing Deaf Immigrants as a distinct immigrant group.  Deaf immigrants 

today are not escaping the Holocaust, for example. They often share 

similarities of other nations that share a history of colonialism and exploitation.  

Their immigration must be understood within the context of sociocultural 

history and Deaf culture. 

4. De-emphasize social integration or cultural assimilation as an educational goal.  

The reasons for Deaf immigrants immigrating to USA are often varied, 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

however, they are usually seeking better employment opportunities or better 

educational opportunities.  As social integration is not a goal of many first 

generation Deaf immigrants, adult education programs that seek to foster social 

and life development goals for immigrants miss the point.  Deaf immigrants 

are either segregated into distinct communities, such as, Jamaican-Deaf or 

Nigerian-Deaf communities and may not wish to integrate into other 

communities.  Maintaining their own cultural and national identity remains 

important for these individuals. 

 
 
 
 
 

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IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

References 

Bergey, J. L., & Gannon, J. R. (2016). Deaf History Goes Public. Sign Language 

Studies, 17(1),117-121. 

Camp, P. (2001).  “A Struggle for Identity: The American Deaf Community”.  Burtonsville, 

Maryland. Humanities Journal, March/ April 2001; 22, 2, pg. 18-24. 

Cripps, J., & Small, A. (2016). DEAF CULTURE CENTRE: How the Community Takes Its 

Rightful Place in History. Sign Language Studies, 17(1), 101-110. 

Daneshvary, N., &Schwer, R. K. (1994). Black Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market:  

An Earnings Analysis. The Review of Black Political Economy, 22(3), 77–

98. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02689974 

Gannon, J. (1981). Deaf heritage: A narrative history of Deaf America. Silver Spring, MD: 

National Association of the Deaf. 

Guy, T.G. (2002). “Black Immigrants o the Caribbean: An Invisible and Forgotten Community”. 

Adult Learning: Fall 2001/ 2002, 12/13, 4/1; Immigrant Learners in Adult, Post 

Secondary and Work Place Education Journal. 

Holcomb, T.K. (2013). Introduction to American Deaf Culture. New York: NY: Oxford 

University.  

Humphries, T. (1977). Communicating across Cultures (Deaf/Hearing) and language learning. 

Union Graduate School, Cincinnati, Ohio. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. 

Lee, J., Bean, F. D., Batalova, J., & Sandhu, S. (2017). Immigration and the Black-White color 

line in the United States. In The impact of immigration on African Americans(pp. 27-58). 

Routledge. 

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https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02689974


IJO- INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH  

 ( ISSN 2811-2466 )                                                                          Danielle Thompson* 

https://ijojournals.com/                                        Volume 07 || Issue 05 || May, 2024 || 
DEAF IMMIGRANT ODYSSEY 

 

Lewis, H. (2016). Deaf liberation theology. Routledge. 

Mann, M. (2016).  The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 76, 122-139. American Association 

for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. 

Quadros, R., & Lillo-Martin, D. (2018). Brazilian Bimodal Bilinguals as Heritage 

Signers. Languages, 3(3), 32. 

Schama, S. (2017).  “America’s Immigrant dream collides with nativist nightmares”. London, 

UK, The Financial Times Limited, Business and Economics. 

Tambiah, S. J. (2017). Transnational movements, diaspora, and multiple modernities. In Multiple 

modernities (pp. 163-194). Routledge. 

Taylor, R. J., Forsythe-Brown, I., Lincoln, K. D., & Chatters, L. M. (2017). Extended family 

support networks of Caribbean Black adults in the United States. Journal of family 

issues, 38(4), 522-546. 

Tuccoli, T. (2009).  Hearing Privileges at Gallaudet University. Gallaudet University, Washington, 

D.C. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. 

United Nations. (2019). Human Rights. un.org. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/.  

United States Bureau of Census (2001). Profile of the foreign-born population in the United 

States, 2000.  Washington DC;  US Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics 

Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 

 

 

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