Page 39 - Difference or Disorder Digital Version

Difference or Disorder?

My parents naturally had an accent, which frequently embarrassed me because it

“gave us away” and there was always a breakdown in communication (especially with the

strong southern drawl). I always felt self‐conscious when people would ask about my heritage

and culture because I sensed that the questions came from a place of judgment and pre‐

conceived ideas of what it meant to be Iranian. Frequently, I would be asked where my name

is from and when I would say “Iran,” more often than not, I would get a blank look and a

simple, “Oh,” as a response.

Luckily, I had a few friends that thought it was neat that I could speak another

language and wished they could talk in “code” when in public. I never really thought it special

or cool to speak another language, but I did find it very useful when I didn’t want someone to

understand what I was saying.

As I grew up and became a young adult, the town slowly grew and became more

diverse. This didn’t necessarily change people’s point of view, but I was able to meet more

people who were like me, (i.e., from a different culture or who spoke a different language).

Now I have found myself very lucky to be Iranian and to speak Farsi. It has helped me

professionally to serve children and their families who speak Farsi as well as allowed me to

connect with a wide array of people who share a similar cultural background.

Farinam Pletka, Bilingual Speech‐Language Pathologist

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