San Francisco Public Library Presents
American Culture: The Deaf Perspective - A Four-Part Series Exploring the Culture and Heritage of Deaf Americans
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Deaf Heritage: Program 1 Deaf presenters lay groundwork for understanding the history of the American Deaf community through telling the story of how American Sign Language was developed and discussing the importance of a shared language, experiences and values.
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Deaf Folklore: Program 2 Susan D. Rutherford explains how traditional jokes and stories in American Sign Language reveal the wisdom, values, morals and culture of Deaf Americans. Deaf performers offer examples.
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Deaf Literature: Program 3 Deaf artists offer examples of American Sign Language poetry, discuss the qualities of plays, theatrical performances and television programs created for a Deaf audience and explain how literature created in ASL is different from English literature translated into ASL.
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Deaf Minorities: Program 4 Bay Area residents, including a Cuban émigré, an African-American woman, a Native American woman, a Japanese-American man, a feminist, a gay man, a lesbian and an older adult share their personal experiences as members of minority communities within the larger Deaf community.
PRODUCED BY: San Francisco Public Library
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF: D.E.A.F. Media, Inc.
THIS PROGRAM WAS FUNDED BY: National Endowment for the Humanities
San Francisco Foundation
California Council for the Humanities
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
Sony Corporation of America
DVD's are available for purchase. Order form (PDF 203K)