Linguistic Gatekeeping and Student Resistance

Ashley, Bella, Isaias, Shelby

Reading:

Wiel, Keisha. (2023). “Linguistic Bias or a Chance to Get Ahead: Linguistic Repertoires in Aruban and Curaçaoan Schools” in Ethnographic Insights on Latin America and the Caribbean, ed. Melanie A. Medeiros and Jennifer R. Guzman (1st ed.) University of Toronto Press. https://utorontopress.com/9781487551506/ethnographic-insights-on-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

Summary:

In this chapter, Keisha Wiel (2023) demonstrates the power imbalance that occurs when a government enforces a specific language on its multilingual population, particularly when the preferred language was introduced by colonization. The author's main argument is that the Dutch language is a tool to facilitate hierarchical power structures and perpetuate structural inequalities through linguistic gatekeeping. 

There are four common languages spoken in Aruba and Curaçao (Papiamentu, English, Dutch, and Spanish) that are the result of the enslavement of the Caquetio (Indigenous) and Africans, settler colonialism, and the displacement and migration of Iberian Jewish people to the islands. However, "In Aruban and Curaçao schools, Dutch, itself, can act as a gatekeeping tool to educational advancement" (Kiel 2023, 10). Through fieldwork detailing conversations between teachers and students on the island of Curaçao, Wiel (2023) argues that dominant ideologies associate Dutch, not Papiamentu, with educational institutions and that teachers are the primary "gatekeepers" of which language can be used (Kiel 2023, 3). Through unmediated interactions between students and teachers, the text exhibits teachers' attempts to police and erase Papiamentu in the classroom, where a hierarchical dynamic exists with the primary language being Dutch; meanwhile, Papiamento continues to exist out of community building and necessity. Wiels' (2023) article supplements our understanding of identity, resistance, and language. She highlights how policing language in academic institutions in Aruba takes away a sense of identity in native children. In turn, the students express raw moments of struggle and exasperation and resist the linguistic hierarchy within educational systems by actively speaking in English and Papiamentu, their most comfortable language.

References

Wiel, Keisha. (2023). “Linguistic Bias or a Chance to Get Ahead: Linguistic Repertoires in Aruban and Curaçaoan Schools” in Ethnographic Insights on Latin America and the Caribbean, ed. Melanie A. Medeiros and Jennifer R. Guzman (1st ed.) University of Toronto Press. https://utorontopress.com/9781487551506/ethnographic-insights-on-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/University of Toronto Press.

How does this playlist complement (visually, somatically, sonically, vibe, taste) the text?

This playlist complements the text sonically by having the artist Jeremy Dutcher in the song “Mehcinut” to sing in the language of Wolastoqey, “the people of the beautiful river”, which was inspired by his ancestors' recordings in the Canadian museum of history. In the text, students in Aruba used the Papiamentu language more than Dutch because they could express and elaborate more comfortably, and the Papiamentu language is more tied to cultural identity. Dutcher, who composed an album in Wolastoq, shows his passion for his native language and finds it easier to express himself more freely than in another language.

The song “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie aligns well with the reading because although the song today is seen as largely colonialist and nationalistic, the song's intentions were once purposeful. There are gaping holes in the meaning of the song, though, because Guthrie disregards through his lyrics Native Americans and the fact that their land was stolen; it was not “made for you and me.” In Aruba and Curaçao, promoting the Dutch language attempts to unite a people like Guthrie’s song was trying to do, but instead it only encourages the erasure of the Papiamentu language.

How did you decide on the order and transitions between each song, including how to begin and end?

The playlist begins and ends with a call to action to emphasize the importance of paying attention to and fighting against the erasure of culture. Throughout the middle of the playlist, however, the listener is taken on a journey of ups and downs, reflecting the battle between those attempting to preserve their culture and those attempting to destroy it.

The playlist begins with “Zombie” by the Cranberries, an anti-terrorist lament inspired by bombings in England. The distorted chords and aggressive nature of the song act as a call to action to embrace anti-violence in response to the harm being enacted on innocent civilians, not only in England but around the world. Following the aggressive tones of the beginning of the album, Jeremy Dutcher’s “Mehcinut” begins to offer a bit of hope in his grandiose fusion of traditional Wolastoqiyik songs with modern melodies to challenge the notion that Indigenous people are a “fading people.” The song serves as a transition between an older reflection on violence and a more modern perspective on the erasure of culture today. The songs that follow for the rest of the playlist have a balance of upbeat and mellow tunes, with the lyrics reflecting the loss of culture but the persistence of a fighting spirit, as heard in “My Culture” by 1 Giant Leap, Robbie Williams, and Maxi Jazz, “Us” by Regina Spektor, and “Big Yellow Taxi” by Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton.

The song that closes the playlist is “Don’t Drink the Water” by the Dave Matthews Band. Dave Matthews gruffly sings about a man coming to a land to pursue his dreams, only to find the land already inhabited. The idea of a colonizing figure displacing those who do not fit into his idea of paradise is common in history and felt like an appropriate message to include when considering modern forms of colonization, particularly with regard to the erasure of language and culture.

Were there ethical concerns or debates that came up while creating this playlist?

We debated how many songs to put in from singers from backgrounds outside of the United States versus singers from the United States. Since the chapter was not about the United States and only focused very little on English, it was very important to us to include artists from various backgrounds. There were also ethical concerns regarding the content of the songs. We wanted to ensure that the songs’ lyrics represented the groups in the article. Additionally, we wanted the songs' meanings to accurately reflect the struggles present in Aruba.