Joe Rogan Experience #2095 - Moshe Kasher

Identity Clash

Moshe Kasher shares his unique experiences navigating cultural identity, particularly within Jewish communities. Growing up, he spent part of the year in Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox neighborhood, where he felt like an outsider due to his less religious upbringing. This duality extended to his life in Oakland, where he attended public school and felt disconnected from both worlds 1. Moshe explains how this cultural clash contributed to his sense of not fitting in, describing himself as "a hearing person in a deaf world" and "essentially a gentile in a Jewish world" 1.

Everything about me made me feel like I am. I don't fit. I don't fit.

--- Moshe Kasher

The discussion also touches on the isolation experienced by deaf individuals, highlighting the importance of language in connecting with others and oneself 2.

   

Language Evolution

The evolution of American Sign Language (ASL) is a testament to the power of language in shaping cultural identity. Moshe Kasher recounts how ASL was born from a blend of French Sign Language, Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, and Plains Indian Sign Language, creating a unique linguistic tapestry 3. This language empowered the deaf community, offering a means of communication and cultural expression that was previously denied. However, the oral system, championed by figures like Alexander Graham Bell, sought to suppress sign language in favor of teaching deaf individuals to speak, which Moshe describes as a "crazy failure" 4.

The one thing that unlocked their freedom, the one thing that unlocked their minds, hearing people saw it and said, we have to take that away from them.

--- Moshe Kasher

This historical struggle reflects broader societal tensions around cultural preservation and assimilation, with sign language serving as a symbol of resistance and identity for the deaf community.