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DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 381 330

RC 020 051

AUTHOR

Smith, Cynthia; Morgan, Robert L.

TITLEAwareness of Deaf Sign Language and Gang Signs.

PUB DATE

Mar 95

NOTE

8p.; In: Reaching to the Future: Boldly Facing

Challenges in Rural Communities. Conference

Proceedings of the American Council on Rural Special

Education (ACRES)

(Las Vegas, Nevada, March 15-18,

1995); see RC 020 016.

PUB TYPE

GuidesNon-Classroom Use (055)

Speeches /Conference Papers (150)

Reference

(134)

EDRS PRICE

MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.

DESCRIPTORS

*American Sign Language; *Deafness; Disabilities; Educational Needs; Elementary Secondary Education; *Juvenile Gangs; *Nonverbal Communication; *Rural

Areas; *Victims of Crime; Violence

ABSTRACT

There have been increasing incidents of innocent

people who use American Sign Language (ASL) or another 2orm of sign language being victimized by gang violence due to misinterpretation of ASL hand formations. ASL is familiar to learners with a variety of disabilities, particularly those in the deaf community. The problem is that gang members have invented their own hand shapes and signs that closely resemble ASL. This is a critical consideration when teaching students with disabilities sign language. These signs, which are essential for conversation, can be dangerous in some communities, including rural areas that have seen an increase in gang activity. Professionals in rural areas need to inform studentson how to avoid conflict with gang members. First, students need to find out and then avoid gang colors, symbols, and styles of clothing. Secondly, students need to be aware of how to handle a dangerous situation in gang territory. For example, an individual may accidentally give a hand signal that offends a gang member. The individual needs to politely explain that sign language is how they communicate and that no offense was meant. Finally, one should avoid any interactions with gang members. An individual's behavior or attitude may be viewed as disrespectful if he or she refuses to completea request by a gang member in r.:thority. A table that compares examples of ASL termsand hand formations with gang signs and hand formation is attached. (LP)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that

can be made from the original document. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS

MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

DT AMR MONTGOM'PY

Cr)TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

ea1 Cr)

AWARENESS OF DEAF SIGN LANGUAGE

AND

GANG SIGNSU 3 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Once or Educational Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived horn the person Or organizationorigrnating o Minot changes have been made to improve reproduction quality

Points et vie* or opinions slated in this docu

ment do not necessarily represent official0E91 position or policyCynthia Smith

Robert L. Morgan

Chadron State College

Chadron, NE

"Deaf Girl Shot for Signing" the

headline may read.This is not anunreasonable consideration.Murders similar to this have been documentedboth in California and Florida, andmany other incidents involving injury

may go unreported (Nebraska Commission for theHearing Impaired, 1994).These irinocent people whouse American Sign Language (ASL) or anotherform of sign languagecan be and are being victimized by gang violence.

ASL a common method of signing, is

familiar to learners with a variety ofdisabilities, particularly those in the deafcommunity.Such persons mayacquire language by using ASL anduse it as their primary means ofcommunication.Others may utilize ASL or similar systemsto enhancelanguage development or expression(Kriegsmann, Gallaher; & Meyers,1982). Individuals whouse ASL or another sign system may be unwittinglyvictimized by gangs forno apparent reason (Johnson, 1993).

This happens as gang members

in clans with familiar soundingnames,such as Grips, Bloods, invent theirown hand shapes and signs.Accordingto Street Beat (Denver Police Department,1993), this language isa bodingfactor.For instance, the sign for Vice Lordsinvolves extending the thumb,index, and middle fingers while flexingthe third and little fingers into thepalm (Gangs LA Style, 1991)- which is the same sign for "3" in ASL.Thissign becomes an identifying and unifyingsymbol among gang members(Ford, L., & Albert, B., 1990).Gangs create and utilize words and phrasesthat are unique to its local subculture(Shot for sign language? i994).Gang language involvesa mixture of hand shapes and signs and the primary

spoken language of the members.

Most gang signs parallel ASL signs

(please refer to the attached chart forexamples).This is a critical consideration whenteaching learners withdisabilities sign language. When inthe community or on the schoolgrounds, they may be preyedupon by gang members. Gang sign language

340
has been seen in and

around schools (Ford,L., & Albert, B., 1990).Anadditional problem forpersons with hearing impairmentsis the use of"CUZ" for "because"while communicatingon the Telephone DeviceDecoder (1.e., TDD/TTY).Gang members typicallycomplete theirsentencesby using "Blood"or "Cuz."

People in rural

areas often feel insulatedfrom many of theseproblems.Yet, sign languageis used by peoplein the hearing and deafcommunitiesthroughout the UnitedStates.These signs, essentialfor < onversation,canbe dangerous insome communities, includingthose in ruralareas.Urbangangs are recruitingnew gang members in ruralcommunities, oftenwithout the residents'awareness.These communities donot comprehendhow gang problemscan arise in theirown communities.Sharp (1994)noted activegang members in ruralcommunities have beenseen at somecommunity lcoationsAere the memberscan meet without anytransportationdifficulty.

Professionals in rural

areas should inform theirstudents on how to avoidconflict withgang members.Johnson (1993) providedseveral guidelines.The first is to findout and then avoidgang colors, symbols, and styleofclothing.For instance, theDisciples and Grips willwear blue and black.Bloods prefer red.Sports symbols alsoprovide an indication ofgangaffiliation.Crips wear LosAngeles Dodgers andBritish Knights clothing.The Vice Lordswear clothing with NewOrleans Saints, UniversityofColorado, PittsburghPirates, and L.A. Kingssymbols.Finally, gangmembers wear clothesoff one shoulderor another.Disciples wear clothesoff the right shoulderwhile the Bloodswear theirs to the left.Hispanicgangs typically wear baggypants and tank topsor T-shirts.

The second is to be

aware of how to handlea dangerous situation ingangterritory.For example,an individual may accidentallygive a hand signalthat offendsa gang member whileinnocently signing.The individualshould)olitely say heor she was just communicatingwith anotherorcarry some means ofstating that sign languageis the solemeans ofcommunicator.Johnson (1993)reported thatgang members may not lashout if given deferenceand respectfulpoliteness.

Finally, one should

learn to recognizeand avoid anyinteractions withgangmembers.An individual'sbehavior or attitudemay be viewed asdisrespectful if heor she refuses tocomplete a request bya gang member

341
in authority.

Gang members may also verbally abuse an innocentpersonfor no reason (Denver Police Department, 1993).

References

Denver Police Department. (1993). Street beat. Denver, CO: Denver

Police

Department.

Dickinson, S., & Graham, M.P. (1993, February). Relay ambassador program trainin. Symposium conducted at Colorado School for theDeaf and

Blind, Greeley, CO.

Ford, L., & Albert, B. (1990, October 21). Ourgangs. Indianapolis Star, pp F1+. Gangs LA Style. (1991). Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles

County Sheriff'sOffice.

Johnson, D. (1993). This thing called

gangs (2nd ed.). Topeka, KS: Lone Tree

Publishing Company.

Kriegsman, E., Gallaher, J.C., & Meyers. (1982). Sign programs with

nonverbal hearing children. Exceptional Children, la,436-445.Nebraska Commission for the Hearing Impaired. (1994,Spring). NebraskaCommission for the Hea h1cils1h.gAr.IN5igner, a,2.Sharp, A.G. (1994, June). Doesanyone know were the gang members are?

Law and Ord?", 4Z, 54, 63-66.

Shot for sign language? (1994, March-April).World Around You, 11. Sternberg, M.L.A. (1987). American sign languagedictionary. New York, NY:HarperCollins Publishers. 342

Example

American Sign

Language TermsExample

American SignLanguage

Formations*Gang SignGang Sign

Formations

"Y," yellow, me tooyellow "V° hand shakes slightly,pivoted at the wrist'Primo" sign,

NeighborhoodBloodsthumb and little

finger areextended, middlethree fingers arefle.xed into thepalm incomplete sign for cigarette,mock,cigarette the index and little fingers of the righthand, palmfacing down, areplaced upon theleft index finger, so that the right index finger I 3SISon the knuckle ofthe left indexfinger and theright little finger rests on the tip ofthe left index fingerBrims a Bloods groupthe index and little fingers of thehand areextended, themiddle threefingers are flexedInto the palm

I love you,

incomplete signfor airplane, fly, airportI love you '1," "L," and "Y" arecombined (thumb, inc.ax,and little fingerare extended; middle and thirdfingers are flexed into the palm); palm is directedforwardBlackstone or

Brim Bloodsthumb, index, and

little finger areextended; middleand third fingersare flexed into the palm; palm isfacing left (Blackstone); index and lithe fingers arepointed down (Brim Bloods) 'From AMERICA SIGN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY by Martin L. A. Sternberg

HaperCollins PublishersUsed by permission3435

"L," shoot shoot the right "L" hand ispointed forward,palm facing left; the right thumb isthen moved down, as in themovement of the pistol's hammerDenver Lane

Bloodsthe right 'L" hand

is pointedforward, palmfacing left; the right thumb isextended "P" or "K," purple, principal, and principleprincipal - the down turned, right "P hand is swung from rightto left over theback of theprone left handAvalon Gangster

Cripsan inverted ASL

"K," or ASL "P" "2" or *V; dance, other

Incomplete signswhich include 'V"dance the

down turnedindex and middle fingers of the right *V" hand swing rhythmically backand forth overthe upturned leftpalmPlayboy Gangster

CripsASL "2" or "V"

through through - the open right hand ispushed betweeneither the middle and index or the .middle and third fingers of theopen left handVenice Gangster

Bloods, Van Ness

Gangster Bloodsthe thumb is

flexed into the palm, the remaining fingersare extended,middle and thirdfingers held apart 'V" or "2," arithmeticarithmetic - the "V" hands, palmsfacing the body, alternately crossand separate, several timesVillains BloodsASL "Va or "2" 344
"F" and "9," member, family,find, appoint, andcountfamily the thumb and index fingersof both 7° handsare in contact,palms facing the hands swingopen andaround, comingtogether again attheir little finger edges, palmsnow facing thebody.

Pirus Bloods

an inverted ASL "F" or -9- '3," third, awkward, devilawkward the '3" hands, palmsdown, move alternately upand down beforethe bodyVice Lords

ASL `3".

earth, globe, beef, smallsmall the extended rightthumb and indexfinger are held slightly spread;they are then moved slowlytoward each other until theyalmost touchCups the extended right thumb andIndex finger are held slightlyspread; the .remaining fingersare flexed intothe palm balance, salt, name, happenname the right "H" hand, palm facing left, isbrought down onthe left 'H" hand,palm facing rightMafia Cripsthe right 'H"hand, palm facing down isbrought parallelto the left "H"hand, palmfacing down 345
another, other, ten, girl,tomorrowanother the right-A- hand, thumb up ispivoted from the wrist and swungover to the right,so that the thumb now points to therightBishop

ASL 'A" wilt"thumb pointing

up 'L," library, licenselibrary the right

1." hand, palmout, describes a

small clockwise .circleVarrio La Lomathe right hand forms an 1." withthe back of thehand facing the signer; the right hand forms an'V with the palmfacing the signer 'L," library, licenselicense - the `I." hands, palms out,touch at the thumb tips several timesMafia Cripsthe 'L" hands, pa'ms in, touch atthe thumb tipsquotesdbs_dbs22.pdfusesText_28

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