Dear professor, 

In this synthesis essay, I explored how language shapes identity and how discrimination often pushes individuals to distance themselves from their cultural roots. My main goal in this essay was to show the emotional and social tensions that people experience when their native language becomes a source of judgment rather than pride. I wanted to highlight how language can be both empowering and isolating, especially for those who constantly feel pressured to “sound” a certain way to be accepted. 

Throughout my writing process, I focused on putting together multiple sources that discuss linguistic discrimination, code-switching, and cultural identity. I worked to connect these readings to real-life experiences, in both my own and those shared in the sources. One of the biggest challenges I faced was balancing my personal perspective with the academic research. I wanted my point of view to be clear and original, but I also wanted to synthesize the ideas of scholars in a way that made my argument stick out. To help me do this, I revised sections of my essay to clarify how each source contributed to my overall claim and made sure I wasn’t just summarizing but explaining the importance of each idea.

 I believe the most effective thing in my essay is the way I highlight the emotional impact of linguistic discrimination. I tried to show how language is not just a communication tool but a part of someone’s heritage, family, and identity. When people feel forced to hide or change the way they speak or sound, they often end up feeling disconnected from their roots. I wanted my essay to capture that loss and show why it matters especially since I can relate to that.

Overall, this essay helped me better understand synthesis writing. I learned how to put multiple articles and readings together, bring their ideas into conversation with each other, and add my own opinion to that conversation. I also gained a deeper appreciation for the difficulty of language identity and the struggles faced by people who deal with this on a daily basis. Thank you for taking the time to read my work and hopefully understand my process and goals while writing 

Sincerley,

Yoelvin Victorio

When the ability to express ourselves through language is limited, a part of ourselves is taken away. We lose parts of our identities that make up our culture, although we may not have seen it then, we definitely see it now through our communities. Language suppression is often seen through our government, especially from our former president, Donald Trump, who would rather, only have the use of the English language in our classrooms, stripping away from linguistic diversity and community, which is honestly what brings us all together as a whole. Perlin claims that Trump sees this in a negative light and wants to minimize the entry of migrants because he fears that it will take away from the English language, but doesn’t see the benefits that having multiple languages brings us to our society. This validates how taking our right to express ourselves through language strips away from our identity. When a language is seen as more dominant, that makes those who are non native speakers discouraged and make them gravitate away from their roots. Sylvester claims that code switching is used as a sense of belonging within our communities, this validates the idea that when not allowed to speak your native language Social stigma, culture marginalization, and media control are all examples of what language suppression can do to us. When a language is seen as more dominant, that makes those who are non native speakers discouraged and make them gravitate away from their roots. This is where social stigma comes into play. In our society, it is often assumed that those who speak the English language are the more educated, or that just because one doesn’t speak English that they don’t understand you.

In 2020 specifically, an academic publication co-authored by Laura Alvarez , being multilingual strengthens how the brain functions. Those who are, are better problem solvers, have better memory, and are more academically successful. Alvarez observation 1 claims that “families suffered from linguistic discrimination and were discouraged or forbidden to speak their first language” (Page 4). When a language is seen as more dominant, it discourages those who are not native speakers and can cause them to drift away from their cultural and linguistic roots. This is where social stigma becomes especially powerful. We can see this in Mother tongue, by Amy Tan, a bestselling novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. In her short story about her mothers broken english and how it shaped her identity it says “people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously because of her English” (Page 2). Amy Tan describes how her mother was consistently dismissed in public spaces because of her English, showing how immigrants are often discouraged from using their native language and pressured to distance themselves from their cultural roots. In our society, it is often assumed that speakers of English are more educated, more competent, or more intelligent, while those who do not speak English fluently are perceived as less capable or even incapable of understanding. These assumptions create a hierarchy of language that does not simply influence communication—it shapes identity, belonging, and self-worth. In the following sections, different researchers will show how language discrimination creates separation from people’s roots.

A study validated language discrimination to show how international students perceive language discrimination. Conducted by three international students, Dr. Meifen Wei,  Dr. Kenneth T.-H. Wang, Dr. Tsun-Yao Ku, it has been proven that depression is associated with high levels of mental health issues. For example, Wei (2020) justifies that not only does language discrimination contribute to depression, but it also has negative effects on anxiety. Although language discrimination contributes to a lot of mental health issues, racial discrimination is also a big part. Wang perceived that language discrimination has negative association with self-esteem as well as racial discrimination because of a moderate association with English proficiency. In the article it says “Perceived language discrimination was significantly associated with lower self-esteem and with higher levels of perceived racial discrimination”. (Page 81)  This reveals how the study measures a significant predictor of mental health outcomes. Another study reveals that refugees who are part of the youth had a far more dysfunctional experience compared to the non-refugee immigrant youth. This is due to the discrimination they went through. Zachary E. Buchanan, an academic psychologist and researcher specializing in multicultural psychology, acculturation, and language-related discrimination, reveals that language played a big role in the psychological and socio-cultural adaptation. In the article it states “Language proficiency and everyday language use emerged as central predictors of immigrants’ psychological and sociocultural adaptation.” ( Page 312). For non-refugee immigrants, already knowing the English language helped them psychologically, while knowing their native language helped them in the social aspect. In other words, English is the language that will benefit their emotional well-being and health, while knowing their own language will only benefit them around others who also know their language.

This article that I am going to discuss details the act of code switching. Code switching is the practice of changing one’s language, dialect, or even behavior to fit a specific social context. In other words, it is when people change the way they speak depending on who they are speaking to or are around . Code switching is a common act all around the world on a daily basis. This article claims Kamala Harris often code switches naturally because it is a part of her culture and identity (McCaulley). To add on, the media judges her a lot on these acts without understanding that it is important to connect with others, and some ways people do that is by the use of language. The scrutiny she receives, however, highlights a double standard: when certain politicians adjust their tone or language, it is viewed as strategic communication, but when marginalized individuals do the same, it is sometimes labeled as inauthentic. The article suggests that such criticisms reveal more about societal attitudes toward race, culture, and language than about Harris herself. Another source “The Costs of Code-Switching” from The Atlantic (2019) discusses how Black professionals are judged for the way they speak and highlights emotional, cultural, and identity consequences. In the article it states “Code-switching comes at a cost. It can be exhausting and can deplete cognitive resources, especially when people feel constant pressure to monitor the way they speak or behave in order to be accepted. For many Black professionals, this effort becomes a daily burden as they try to navigate spaces where their natural speech or cultural expression is judged unfairly” (McCluney et al). As we can see code-switching is not something that people enjoy doing all the time but it is something that has to be done at times. Some don’t like it because it takes away from their identity and it’s not who they are and they feel like they are being forced to be that way. 

In conclusion, when a Language is seen as more dominant, that makes those who are non native speakers discouraged and makes them gravitate away from their roots. When talking aboutlanguage discrimination, how do language policies in other places prevent these kinds of Discrimination. When discussing language discrimination, it is also important to consider how language policies in different places attempt to prevent these inequalities. Some countries promote multilingual education, recognizing and protecting minority languages within schools. Others implement anti-discrimination laws that prevent employers, educators, and institutions from treating individuals differently based on their accent, fluency, or language background. These examples show that language discrimination is not inevitable; it can be challenged through intentional policies that promote equity, respect, and preservation of cultural identity. Ultimately, recognizing the importance of all languages—not just dominant ones—allows societies to support healthier, more inclusive communities where individuals can maintain their roots while still participating fully in broader social and educational systems.

                Work Cited 

Source 1: Olcoń, Katarzyna, and Lauren E Gulbas. “‘Their Needs Are Higher than What I Can Do’: Moral Distress in Providers Working with Latino Immigrant Families.” Qualitative Social Work, vol. 20, no. 4, July 2021, pp. 967–83. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325020919804

Source 2: Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” The Threepenny Review, no. 43, 1990, pp. 7–8.

Source 3: Wei, Meifen, Wang, Kenneth T., Ku, Tsun-Y ao. (2012) A scale of perceived

language discrimination. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, Vol 18(4), Oct

2012, 340-351

Source 4: Zachary E. Buchanan (2017). Comparing discrimination and language

proficiency between refugee and non refugee immigrant youth in Australia.

Source 5:McCaulley, Esau. “Kamala Harris Doesn’t Need to Code-Switch.” The New York Times, 15 Aug. 2024,

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/15/opinion/harris-code-switch.html

Source 6:McCluney, Courtney L., et al. “The Costs of Code-Switching.” The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/11/the-high-costs-of-code-switching/602083/.