San Francisco Public Library Presents
American Culture: The Deaf Perspective - A Four-Part Series Exploring the Culture and Heritage of Deaf Americans
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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