Close
The page header's logo
About
FAQ
Home
Collections
Login
USC Login
Register
0
Selected 
Invert selection
Deselect all
Deselect all
 Click here to refresh results
 Click here to refresh results
USC
/
Digital Library
/
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
/
Read my voice: a documentary
(USC Thesis Other) 

Read my voice: a documentary

doctype icon
play button
PDF
 Download
 Share
 Open document
 Flip pages
 More
 Download a page range
 Download transcript
Copy asset link
Request this asset
Transcript (if available)
Content
 
Read ​ ​My ​ ​Voice
A ​ ​documentary ​ ​produced ​ ​by  
Chinwai ​ ​Wong

___________________________________________________

A ​ ​Thesis ​ ​Presented ​ ​to ​ ​the
FACULTY ​ ​OF ​ ​USC ​ ​GRADUATE ​ ​SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY ​ ​OF ​ ​SOUTHERN ​ ​CALIFORNIA
In ​ ​Partial ​ ​Fulfillment ​ ​of ​ ​the
Requirements ​ ​for ​ ​the ​ ​Degree
MASTER ​ ​OF ​ ​ARTS
(SPECIALIZED ​ ​JOURNALISM)

December ​ ​2017






Copyright ​ ​2017 Chinwai ​ ​Wong


Acknowledgement
My ​ ​sincerest ​ ​gratitude ​ ​goes ​ ​to ​ ​those ​ ​who ​ ​graciously ​ ​shared ​ ​their ​ ​time ​ ​with ​ ​me ​ ​to ​ ​build
this ​ ​story. ​ ​I ​ ​thank ​ ​Sarah ​ ​Yan ​ ​Zhang, ​ ​Eva ​ ​Yee ​ ​Tong ​ ​Chan ​ ​teacher ​ ​and ​ ​friends ​ ​at ​ ​Vancouver ​ ​City
College ​ ​for ​ ​willing ​ ​to ​ ​share ​ ​their ​ ​lives ​ ​on​ ​camera. ​ ​I ​ ​thank ​ ​Dr. ​ ​Carol ​ ​Chou ​ ​at ​ ​UCLA ​ ​for ​ ​giving ​ ​me
insights ​ ​to ​ ​a ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing’s ​ ​prospective. ​ ​I ​ ​thank ​ ​Professor ​ ​Dan ​ ​Birman ​ ​for ​ ​walking ​ ​me ​ ​step ​ ​by
step ​ ​through ​ ​the ​ ​process ​ ​of ​ ​making ​ ​a ​ ​long-form ​ ​visual ​ ​story. ​ ​I ​ ​thank ​ ​Feifei ​ ​Chen, ​ ​my ​ ​dear
colleague ​ ​for ​ ​giving ​ ​me ​ ​a ​ ​hand ​ ​when ​ ​I ​ ​needed ​ ​help. ​ ​I’d ​ ​also ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​thank ​ ​Professor ​ ​Michael
Parks ​ ​and ​ ​Professor ​ ​Michael ​ ​Peyser ​ ​for ​ ​serving ​ ​on​ ​my ​ ​thesis ​ ​committee ​ ​and ​ ​reviewing ​ ​this
project. ​ ​This ​ ​story ​ ​is ​ ​for ​ ​all ​ ​of ​ ​you.  












1


Table ​ ​of ​ ​Contents


I. Background ​ ​and ​ ​Summary: ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​story 3

II. Purpose ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​documentary 6

III. Takeaway ​ ​of ​ ​producing ​ ​the ​ ​documentary 8

IV. Documentary ​ ​Script: ​ ​Read ​ ​My ​ ​Voice 10

V. Reference 24




 
2
I. Background ​ ​and ​ ​Summary: ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​story

Sarah ​ ​Zhang ​ ​was ​ ​born ​ ​with ​ ​severe ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss ​ ​in ​ ​China ​ ​in ​ ​1992.​ ​She ​ ​has ​ ​been ​ ​living ​ ​in ​ ​the
hearing ​ ​world ​ ​since ​ ​she ​ ​could ​ ​remember. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​taught ​ ​herself ​ ​to ​ ​speak ​ ​and ​ ​lip-read ​ ​in ​ ​three
languages: ​ ​Mandarin ​ ​Chinese, ​ ​Cantonese ​ ​and ​ ​English. ​ ​Although ​ ​she ​ ​says ​ ​she ​ ​has ​ ​no​ ​trouble
communicating, ​ ​she ​ ​found ​ ​herself ​ ​out ​ ​of ​ ​place ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​world. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​made ​ ​the ​ ​decision ​ ​to
leave ​ ​home ​ ​to ​ ​enroll ​ ​in ​ ​an ​ ​American ​ ​Sign ​ ​Language ​ ​program ​ ​in ​ ​Vancouver ​ ​in ​ ​2016.​ ​​ ​She ​ ​sought
a ​ ​sense ​ ​of ​ ​belonging ​ ​by​ ​learning ​ ​ASL ​ ​and ​ ​meeting ​ ​people ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​community ​ ​who ​ ​share
similar ​ ​experiences. ​ ​However, ​ ​because ​ ​she ​ ​had ​ ​never ​ ​been ​ ​in ​ ​a ​ ​deaf ​ ​community ​ ​before, ​ ​it ​ ​was
difficult ​ ​for ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​fit ​ ​into ​ ​the ​ ​new ​ ​environment ​ ​as ​ ​well. ​ ​This ​ ​left ​ ​Sarah ​ ​confused ​ ​about ​ ​where ​ ​she
belongs: ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​hearing.

Sarah’s ​ ​mother, ​ ​Eva, ​ ​figured ​ ​out ​ ​her ​ ​daughter’s ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss ​ ​when ​ ​Sarah ​ ​was ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​age ​ ​of ​ ​two.
As ​ ​a ​ ​baby, ​ ​Sarah ​ ​was ​ ​always ​ ​happy ​ ​and ​ ​energetic. ​ ​But ​ ​Eva ​ ​remembered ​ ​Sarah ​ ​sometimes
seemed ​ ​awfully ​ ​quiet. ​ ​She ​ ​did ​ ​not ​ ​pick ​ ​up​ ​language ​ ​as ​ ​soon ​ ​as ​ ​the ​ ​other ​ ​kids. ​ ​At ​ ​first, ​ ​Eva
thought ​ ​it ​ ​was ​ ​just ​ ​a ​ ​matter ​ ​of ​ ​time. ​ ​Then ​ ​she ​ ​noticed ​ ​Sarah ​ ​would ​ ​often ​ ​lean ​ ​towards ​ ​the ​ ​speaker
as ​ ​if ​ ​she ​ ​couldn’t ​ ​hear ​ ​enough. ​ ​If ​ ​Eva ​ ​tried ​ ​to ​ ​turn ​ ​down ​ ​the ​ ​audio ​ ​volume, ​ ​Sarah ​ ​would ​ ​cry.  

Eva ​ ​and ​ ​her ​ ​husband ​ ​then ​ ​sent ​ ​Sarah ​ ​to ​ ​an ​ ​audiologist ​ ​for ​ ​testing. ​ ​It ​ ​turned ​ ​out ​ ​Sarah ​ ​was ​ ​born
with ​ ​80​ ​percent ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss. ​ ​Back ​ ​then, ​ ​special ​ ​education ​ ​programs ​ ​in ​ ​China ​ ​were ​ ​not ​ ​very ​ ​well
facilitated. ​ ​There ​ ​was ​ ​lack ​ ​of ​ ​awareness ​ ​and ​ ​respect ​ ​for ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hearing-impaired
community. ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​family ​ ​decided ​ ​that ​ ​Sarah ​ ​would ​ ​go​ ​to ​ ​hearing ​ ​schools ​ ​instead.
3

Sarah ​ ​says ​ ​she ​ ​can ​ ​only ​ ​hear ​ ​loud ​ ​sounds ​ ​if ​ ​she ​ ​doesn’t ​ ​wear ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids. ​ ​Hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​helped
her ​ ​to ​ ​learn ​ ​pronunciation ​ ​when ​ ​she ​ ​was ​ ​young.​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​now ​ ​are ​ ​very ​ ​old. ​ ​She ​ ​said
she ​ ​does ​ ​not ​ ​want ​ ​a ​ ​new ​ ​pair ​ ​because ​ ​she ​ ​says ​ ​they ​ ​are ​ ​too ​ ​expensive, ​ ​and ​ ​she ​ ​does ​ ​not ​ ​rely ​ ​on
hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​when ​ ​she ​ ​communicates. ​ ​She ​ ​trained ​ ​herself ​ ​to ​ ​read ​ ​lips ​ ​over ​ ​the ​ ​years, ​ ​and ​ ​she ​ ​has
been ​ ​communicating ​ ​primarily ​ ​through ​ ​lip-reading. ​ ​Her ​ ​mother ​ ​suspects ​ ​she ​ ​can ​ ​only ​ ​identify
sounds ​ ​when ​ ​she ​ ​wears ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids. ​ ​However, ​ ​Sarah ​ ​insists ​ ​she ​ ​can ​ ​hear ​ ​everything ​ ​if ​ ​she ​ ​wears
her ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids.  

Dr. ​ ​Carol ​ ​Chou, ​ ​an ​ ​audiologist ​ ​at ​ ​UCLA, ​ ​said ​ ​that ​ ​sometimes ​ ​people ​ ​don’t ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​get ​ ​new
hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​because ​ ​they ​ ​don’t ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​confront ​ ​their ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss ​ ​progression. ​ ​Dr. ​ ​Chou
explained ​ ​how ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​amplify ​ ​sounds. ​ ​She ​ ​also ​ ​said ​ ​it ​ ​is ​ ​uncommon ​ ​to ​ ​see ​ ​someone ​ ​who
had ​ ​never ​ ​received ​ ​special ​ ​education ​ ​to ​ ​pick ​ ​up​ ​three ​ ​languages ​ ​by​ ​lips-reading.  

Sarah ​ ​said ​ ​she’d ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​independent ​ ​and ​ ​challenge ​ ​herself. ​ ​She ​ ​was ​ ​having ​ ​a ​ ​hard ​ ​time ​ ​in
China. ​ ​She ​ ​was ​ ​bullied ​ ​in ​ ​school ​ ​and ​ ​felt ​ ​helpless. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​received ​ ​a ​ ​high ​ ​school ​ ​education, ​ ​but
she ​ ​was ​ ​not ​ ​able ​ ​to ​ ​receive ​ ​a ​ ​diploma ​ ​because ​ ​she ​ ​never ​ ​passed ​ ​her ​ ​High ​ ​School ​ ​Entrance ​ ​Exam.
Her ​ ​mother ​ ​paid ​ ​a ​ ​lot ​ ​of ​ ​money ​ ​for ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​audit ​ ​high ​ ​school, ​ ​and ​ ​then ​ ​audit ​ ​college. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​was
stuck ​ ​after ​ ​she ​ ​finished. ​ ​She ​ ​does ​ ​not ​ ​have ​ ​diplomas; ​ ​her ​ ​job ​ ​opportunities ​ ​are ​ ​very ​ ​limited.
Sarah ​ ​decided ​ ​to ​ ​go​ ​on​ ​new ​ ​adventures ​ ​on​ ​her ​ ​own.  

4
Now, ​ ​Sarah ​ ​has ​ ​settled ​ ​in ​ ​Vancouver. ​ ​Every ​ ​morning ​ ​at ​ ​8:30, ​ ​she ​ ​leaves ​ ​home, ​ ​gets ​ ​on​ ​a ​ ​train
and ​ ​goes ​ ​to ​ ​school. ​ ​Vancouver ​ ​City ​ ​College ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​welcoming ​ ​place. ​ ​She ​ ​says ​ ​she ​ ​feels ​ ​respected
there. ​ ​Her ​ ​classmates ​ ​and ​ ​instructor ​ ​are ​ ​either ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​or ​ ​deaf, ​ ​and ​ ​she ​ ​quickly ​ ​made
friends. ​ ​On ​ ​the ​ ​weekends, ​ ​Sarah ​ ​goes ​ ​out ​ ​with ​ ​her ​ ​friends ​ ​as ​ ​a ​ ​group. ​ ​Many ​ ​of ​ ​her ​ ​friends ​ ​are
photographers, ​ ​and ​ ​Sarah ​ ​is ​ ​often ​ ​their ​ ​model. ​ ​This ​ ​is ​ ​the ​ ​first ​ ​time ​ ​Sarah ​ ​has ​ ​engaged ​ ​with ​ ​the
sign ​ ​language ​ ​culture.  

But ​ ​adapting ​ ​a ​ ​new ​ ​culture ​ ​is ​ ​not ​ ​easy. ​ ​Unlike ​ ​verbal ​ ​language, ​ ​sign ​ ​language ​ ​is ​ ​visual. ​ ​It ​ ​took
her ​ ​awhile ​ ​to ​ ​catch ​ ​up​ ​and ​ ​adapt. ​ ​Aastrid ​ ​Evensen, ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​instructor ​ ​says ​ ​Sarah ​ ​is ​ ​struggling
and ​ ​worried. ​ ​Miscommunications ​ ​happen ​ ​when ​ ​she ​ ​is ​ ​at ​ ​school ​ ​with ​ ​her ​ ​deaf ​ ​friends. ​ ​As ​ ​she ​ ​is
so ​ ​used ​ ​to ​ ​speaking, ​ ​she ​ ​sometimes ​ ​tries ​ ​to ​ ​speak ​ ​with ​ ​her ​ ​classmates, ​ ​forgetting ​ ​some ​ ​of ​ ​her
classmates ​ ​have ​ ​never ​ ​been ​ ​able ​ ​to ​ ​speak ​ ​or ​ ​hear. ​ ​She ​ ​realizes ​ ​her ​ ​attempt ​ ​to ​ ​“talk” ​ ​may ​ ​seem
like ​ ​an ​ ​insult. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​is ​ ​very ​ ​frustrated ​ ​and ​ ​negative ​ ​about ​ ​it. ​ ​She ​ ​doesn’t ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​explain ​ ​because
she ​ ​thinks ​ ​people ​ ​will ​ ​misunderstand ​ ​her ​ ​anyway. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​becomes ​ ​confused ​ ​about ​ ​her ​ ​own
identity– ​ ​throughout ​ ​her ​ ​life ​ ​she ​ ​has ​ ​been ​ ​communicating ​ ​as ​ ​a ​ ​hearing ​ ​person. ​ ​She ​ ​speaks, ​ ​and
she ​ ​“listens.” ​ ​She ​ ​doesn’t ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​give ​ ​up​ ​speaking ​ ​in ​ ​order ​ ​to ​ ​fit ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​new ​ ​environment.

Evensen ​ ​says ​ ​that ​ ​deaf ​ ​people ​ ​are ​ ​very ​ ​sensitive. ​ ​They ​ ​have ​ ​a ​ ​very ​ ​strong ​ ​sense ​ ​of ​ ​community,
and ​ ​they ​ ​don’t ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​interfere ​ ​with ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​world ​ ​because ​ ​they ​ ​don’t ​ ​feel ​ ​comfortable ​ ​–​ ​it’s
like ​ ​there ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​wall. ​ ​But ​ ​deaf ​ ​people ​ ​are ​ ​also ​ ​very ​ ​strong. ​ ​Evensen ​ ​mentioned ​ ​one ​ ​common
mistake ​ ​that ​ ​people ​ ​often ​ ​made ​ ​when ​ ​they ​ ​try ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​respectful ​ ​about ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​community ​ ​–​ ​they
would ​ ​describe ​ ​the ​ ​community ​ ​using ​ ​terms ​ ​such ​ ​as ​ ​hearing ​ ​impaired ​ ​or ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss. ​ ​While ​ ​the
5
community ​ ​thinks ​ ​these ​ ​terms ​ ​emphasize ​ ​too ​ ​much ​ ​about ​ ​their ​ ​medical ​ ​disability, ​ ​they ​ ​do​ ​not
want ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​society ​ ​to ​ ​look ​ ​down ​ ​on​ ​them. ​ ​​ ​That ​ ​is, ​ ​it ​ ​is ​ ​the ​ ​position ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of
hearing ​ ​community ​ ​that ​ ​deaf ​ ​people ​ ​are ​ ​fully ​ ​capable ​ ​of ​ ​achieving ​ ​anything ​ ​they ​ ​want ​ ​to
achieve. ​ ​They ​ ​would ​ ​rather ​ ​have ​ ​hearing ​ ​people ​ ​just ​ ​call ​ ​them ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing, ​ ​because
being ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​is ​ ​not ​ ​something ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​ashamed ​ ​of.

Sarah ​ ​says ​ ​it ​ ​is ​ ​possible ​ ​for ​ ​a ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​a ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​person ​ ​to ​ ​feel ​ ​comfortable ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​hearing
world, ​ ​as ​ ​long ​ ​as ​ ​the ​ ​person ​ ​is ​ ​confident. ​ ​She ​ ​wants ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​fluent ​ ​in ​ ​both ​ ​English ​ ​and ​ ​ASL. ​ ​Her
mom ​ ​suggests ​ ​maybe ​ ​Sarah ​ ​can ​ ​start ​ ​an ​ ​educational ​ ​program ​ ​in ​ ​China ​ ​one ​ ​day, ​ ​to ​ ​teach ​ ​both
ASL ​ ​and ​ ​speaking. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​says ​ ​maybe ​ ​she ​ ​can ​ ​be ​ ​the ​ ​connection ​ ​between ​ ​the ​ ​two ​ ​worlds, ​ ​and
perhaps ​ ​that’s ​ ​her ​ ​identity.

II. Purpose ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​documentary

If ​ ​a ​ ​person ​ ​is ​ ​born ​ ​with ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss, ​ ​does ​ ​it ​ ​mean ​ ​he ​ ​or ​ ​she ​ ​can’t ​ ​feel ​ ​comfortable ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​hearing
world?  

I ​ ​met ​ ​Sarah ​ ​when ​ ​I ​ ​was ​ ​only ​ ​a ​ ​few ​ ​months ​ ​old ​ ​-- ​ ​Sarah ​ ​is ​ ​my ​ ​cousin; ​ ​she ​ ​is ​ ​seven ​ ​months
younger ​ ​than ​ ​me. ​ ​I’d ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​call ​ ​her ​ ​my ​ ​sister, ​ ​as ​ ​both ​ ​of ​ ​us ​ ​were ​ ​the ​ ​only ​ ​children ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​family
when ​ ​we ​ ​were ​ ​little. ​ ​Growing ​ ​up,​ ​I ​ ​never ​ ​thought ​ ​Sarah ​ ​was ​ ​different ​ ​from ​ ​others. ​ ​To ​ ​me, ​ ​Sarah
is ​ ​a ​ ​caring, ​ ​sensitive ​ ​girl, ​ ​and ​ ​she ​ ​is ​ ​very ​ ​persistent. ​ ​We ​ ​have ​ ​always ​ ​been ​ ​close.  

6
Sarah’s ​ ​speaking ​ ​is ​ ​hard ​ ​to ​ ​understand ​ ​sometimes, ​ ​but ​ ​naturally, ​ ​I ​ ​can ​ ​fully ​ ​understand ​ ​her. ​ ​I ​ ​was
the ​ ​first ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​family ​ ​to ​ ​discover ​ ​that ​ ​she ​ ​could ​ ​read ​ ​lips ​ ​–​ ​at ​ ​about ​ ​age ​ ​of ​ ​10.​ ​Girls ​ ​have ​ ​secrets,
and ​ ​when ​ ​I ​ ​tried ​ ​to ​ ​whisper ​ ​to ​ ​her, ​ ​I ​ ​realized ​ ​she ​ ​could ​ ​“hear” ​ ​from ​ ​a ​ ​long ​ ​distance! ​ ​As ​ ​time
goes, ​ ​she ​ ​became ​ ​an ​ ​expert ​ ​in ​ ​both ​ ​Mandarin ​ ​and ​ ​Cantonese. ​ ​Her ​ ​hearing ​ ​problem ​ ​became ​ ​less
noticeable ​ ​as ​ ​she ​ ​never ​ ​seemed ​ ​to ​ ​have ​ ​too ​ ​much ​ ​trouble ​ ​communicating. ​ ​We ​ ​never ​ ​realized ​ ​how
hard ​ ​it ​ ​was ​ ​for ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​train ​ ​herself ​ ​to ​ ​read ​ ​lips, ​ ​and ​ ​how ​ ​gifted ​ ​and ​ ​capable ​ ​she ​ ​is ​ ​to ​ ​solve
problems ​ ​by​ ​herself.  

I ​ ​know ​ ​Sarah ​ ​was ​ ​not ​ ​happy ​ ​in ​ ​China. ​ ​And ​ ​at ​ ​first, ​ ​I ​ ​voted ​ ​against ​ ​her ​ ​decision ​ ​to ​ ​study ​ ​abroad
because ​ ​I ​ ​didn’t ​ ​think ​ ​she ​ ​knew ​ ​how ​ ​to ​ ​take ​ ​care ​ ​of ​ ​herself. ​ ​It ​ ​wasn’t ​ ​until ​ ​she ​ ​came ​ ​to ​ ​visit ​ ​me
in ​ ​L.A. ​ ​then ​ ​I ​ ​knew ​ ​I ​ ​was ​ ​wrong. ​ ​Her ​ ​lip-reading ​ ​skill ​ ​is ​ ​impressive. ​ ​She ​ ​seems ​ ​to ​ ​have ​ ​no
trouble ​ ​finding ​ ​places ​ ​and ​ ​communicating ​ ​with ​ ​others ​ ​in ​ ​a ​ ​foreign ​ ​language.

Initially, ​ ​I ​ ​decided ​ ​to ​ ​make ​ ​this ​ ​documentary ​ ​because ​ ​I ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​understand ​ ​Sarah ​ ​better. ​ ​As ​ ​I
started ​ ​to ​ ​dig ​ ​into ​ ​the ​ ​story ​ ​and ​ ​met ​ ​more ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​people, ​ ​I ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​make ​ ​a
documentary ​ ​that ​ ​encourages ​ ​the ​ ​two ​ ​communities ​ ​-- ​ ​hearing ​ ​and ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing
communities ​ ​to ​ ​interact ​ ​with ​ ​one ​ ​another. ​ ​Whatever ​ ​that ​ ​means. ​ ​​ ​I ​ ​would ​ ​have ​ ​thought ​ ​that ​ ​you
were ​ ​making ​ ​a ​ ​documentary ​ ​about ​ ​a ​ ​girl ​ ​who ​ ​is ​ ​confused ​ ​about ​ ​her ​ ​identity, ​ ​and ​ ​this ​ ​identity ​ ​is
particularly ​ ​difficult ​ ​to ​ ​nail ​ ​down ​ ​because ​ ​it ​ ​involves ​ ​deafness. ​ ​As ​ ​hearing ​ ​people, ​ ​we ​ ​don’t
know ​ ​what ​ ​it's ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​live ​ ​in ​ ​silence ​ ​and ​ ​noises. ​ ​​ ​So ​ ​we ​ ​tend ​ ​to ​ ​take ​ ​sounds ​ ​for ​ ​granted. ​ ​Signing
is ​ ​the ​ ​most ​ ​efficient ​ ​way ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​community ​ ​can ​ ​communicate ​ ​among ​ ​their ​ ​group, ​ ​yet ​ ​most
hearing ​ ​people ​ ​don’t ​ ​know ​ ​sign ​ ​language. ​ ​So ​ ​there ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​communication ​ ​barrier. ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​ASL
7
instructor ​ ​Evensen ​ ​(last ​ ​name) ​ ​told ​ ​me ​ ​(with ​ ​the ​ ​help ​ ​of ​ ​an ​ ​interpreter) ​ ​that ​ ​many ​ ​people ​ ​in ​ ​the
deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​community ​ ​feel ​ ​there ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​wall ​ ​between ​ ​the ​ ​two ​ ​worlds. ​ ​While ​ ​Sarah
said ​ ​she ​ ​does ​ ​not ​ ​belong ​ ​in ​ ​either ​ ​hearing ​ ​or ​ ​deaf ​ ​community, ​ ​she ​ ​is ​ ​able ​ ​to ​ ​communicate ​ ​with
both. ​ ​I ​ ​hope ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​story ​ ​can ​ ​encourage ​ ​the ​ ​two ​ ​worlds ​ ​to ​ ​have ​ ​more ​ ​interaction.  

III. Takeaway ​ ​of ​ ​producing ​ ​the ​ ​documentary

Producing ​ ​this ​ ​documentary ​ ​was ​ ​such ​ ​a ​ ​learning ​ ​experience. ​ ​I ​ ​learned ​ ​so ​ ​much ​ ​about
documentary ​ ​filmmaking ​ ​during ​ ​the ​ ​process. ​ ​I ​ ​remember ​ ​the ​ ​first ​ ​day ​ ​I ​ ​walked ​ ​into ​ ​Professor
Birman’s ​ ​classroom ​ ​not ​ ​knowing ​ ​what ​ ​to ​ ​do.​ ​My ​ ​story ​ ​ideas ​ ​changed ​ ​so ​ ​many ​ ​times ​ ​before ​ ​I
even ​ ​learned ​ ​how ​ ​to ​ ​hold ​ ​a ​ ​camera.  

Technically, ​ ​I ​ ​learned ​ ​that ​ ​there ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​process ​ ​to ​ ​capturing ​ ​visuals ​ ​for ​ ​a ​ ​documentary. ​ ​We ​ ​learned
an ​ ​approach ​ ​that ​ ​relies ​ ​on​ ​constructing ​ ​visual ​ ​sequences ​ ​that ​ ​allow ​ ​the ​ ​images ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​assembled ​ ​so
that ​ ​a ​ ​story ​ ​can ​ ​be ​ ​communicated ​ ​both ​ ​with ​ ​visuals ​ ​and ​ ​with ​ ​sound.  

I ​ ​also ​ ​learned ​ ​that ​ ​I ​ ​should ​ ​have ​ ​more ​ ​parts ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​story ​ ​planned ​ ​out ​ ​before ​ ​I ​ ​go​ ​on​ ​to ​ ​interviews.
I ​ ​did ​ ​not ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​use ​ ​narration ​ ​and ​ ​would ​ ​love ​ ​to ​ ​have ​ ​interview ​ ​dialogue ​ ​carry ​ ​the ​ ​story. ​ ​But ​ ​I
ended ​ ​up​ ​using ​ ​a ​ ​few ​ ​information ​ ​cards ​ ​because ​ ​I ​ ​didn’t ​ ​ask ​ ​enough ​ ​questions ​ ​to ​ ​create ​ ​clear
transitions ​ ​between ​ ​topics. ​ ​I ​ ​got ​ ​too ​ ​familiar ​ ​with ​ ​Sarah ​ ​and ​ ​I ​ ​did ​ ​not ​ ​organize ​ ​the ​ ​information
that ​ ​Sarah ​ ​needed ​ ​to ​ ​tell ​ ​the ​ ​audience ​ ​in ​ ​front ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​camera.

8
Another ​ ​thing ​ ​I’ve ​ ​learned ​ ​is ​ ​that, ​ ​the ​ ​next ​ ​time ​ ​I’m ​ ​on​ ​a ​ ​shooting ​ ​schedule, ​ ​I ​ ​will ​ ​try ​ ​to ​ ​do​ ​the
interviews ​ ​at ​ ​first. ​ ​Because ​ ​I ​ ​can ​ ​then ​ ​listen ​ ​to ​ ​what ​ ​the ​ ​subject ​ ​says, ​ ​take ​ ​notes, ​ ​and ​ ​look ​ ​for
relative ​ ​shots ​ ​when ​ ​I ​ ​go​ ​shoot.  

I ​ ​did ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​interview ​ ​almost ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​end ​ ​of ​ ​my ​ ​Vancouver ​ ​trip ​ ​–​ ​I ​ ​kept ​ ​pushing ​ ​it ​ ​back ​ ​because ​ ​I
was ​ ​afraid ​ ​to ​ ​talk ​ ​to ​ ​her. ​ ​It ​ ​was ​ ​so ​ ​hard ​ ​and ​ ​I ​ ​did ​ ​not ​ ​know ​ ​where ​ ​to ​ ​start. ​ ​We ​ ​grew ​ ​up​ ​together
but ​ ​I ​ ​had ​ ​never ​ ​tried ​ ​to ​ ​fully ​ ​understand ​ ​her ​ ​heart. ​ ​I ​ ​was ​ ​ashamed. ​ ​After ​ ​I ​ ​went ​ ​back ​ ​to ​ ​L.A. ​ ​and
transcribed ​ ​her ​ ​sound ​ ​bites, ​ ​I ​ ​know ​ ​I’m ​ ​doing ​ ​the ​ ​documentary ​ ​that ​ ​I ​ ​will ​ ​make ​ ​myself ​ ​proud.
And ​ ​I ​ ​won’t ​ ​be ​ ​afraid ​ ​to ​ ​dive ​ ​deep ​ ​again.

In ​ ​terms ​ ​of ​ ​storytelling, ​ ​I ​ ​learned ​ ​that ​ ​a ​ ​good​ ​story ​ ​usually ​ ​follows ​ ​a ​ ​simple ​ ​logic. ​ ​I ​ ​was
overthinking ​ ​and ​ ​overwhelmed ​ ​when ​ ​I ​ ​first ​ ​try ​ ​to ​ ​craft ​ ​it. ​ ​I ​ ​also ​ ​had ​ ​fun ​ ​making ​ ​my ​ ​own ​ ​music
to ​ ​go​ ​with ​ ​the ​ ​film, ​ ​too. ​ ​Music ​ ​helps ​ ​the ​ ​story ​ ​to ​ ​flow ​ ​better.

IV. ​ ​​ ​Documentary ​ ​Script: ​ ​Read ​ ​My ​ ​Voice

 
 
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH ​ ​​ ​ZHANG
Sarah ​ ​on ​ ​the ​ ​underground ​ ​subway ​ ​watching ​ ​the
dark ​ ​through ​ ​the ​ ​window.
 
NAT ​ ​SOUND: ​ ​subway
Soft ​ ​piano ​ ​music ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​background.
 
 
 
To ​ ​me, ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hearing ​ ​are ​ ​two ​ ​different ​ ​worlds.
I ​ ​don’t ​ ​know ​ ​how ​ ​to ​ ​balance. ​ ​I’m ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing.
I’m ​ ​not ​ ​deaf. ​ ​I’m ​ ​not ​ ​a ​ ​hearing ​ ​person.

I ​ ​don't ​ ​know ​ ​how ​ ​to ​ ​balance.
9

SOT ​ ​SARAH  
ASL ​ ​signing

 
My ​ ​name ​ ​is ​ ​Sarah. ​ ​Nice ​ ​to ​ ​meet ​ ​you.  
 
MUSIC
Piano ​ ​music
 
Fade-In ​ ​Title ​ ​Card ​ ​1: ​ ​“Read ​ ​My ​ ​Voice”
Fade ​ ​to ​ ​Black
 
 

Eva ​ ​Chan
CG: ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​Mother


Establishing ​ ​shots ​ ​of ​ ​San ​ ​Diego.



​ ​​Eva: ​ ​You’re ​ ​going ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​a ​ ​celebrity ​ ​on ​ ​camera.
Sarah: ​ ​You ​ ​look ​ ​better ​ ​in ​ ​this ​ ​hat.

Eva: ​ ​I’m ​ ​the ​ ​mom ​ ​of ​ ​a ​ ​celebrity. ​ ​Hello.
Sarah: ​ ​You ​ ​should ​ ​wear ​ ​this ​ ​hat.
MUSIC
Archival ​ ​footage: ​ ​Sarah ​ ​in ​ ​kindergarten.
 
Archival ​ ​footage ​ ​“Do-Re-Mi” ​ ​song ​ ​in
background.  

Video ​ ​fades ​ ​after ​ ​10s.
 
 
 
Archival ​ ​footage: ​ ​Sarah ​ ​in ​ ​kindergarten.
 
MUSIC
Archival ​ ​footage ​ ​“Do-Re-Mi” ​ ​song ​ ​in
background.  
 
EVA ​ ​INTERVIEW:
 
I ​ ​didn’t ​ ​realize ​ ​she ​ ​has ​ ​hearing ​ ​difficulties ​ ​after
she ​ ​was ​ ​two ​ ​years.
 

 
10

Archival ​ ​photographs ​ ​from ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​childhood.
 
With ​ ​captions.


 
When ​ ​she ​ ​was ​ ​little, ​ ​she ​ ​liked ​ ​sleeping ​ ​by ​ ​the
keyboard ​ ​speaker. ​ ​She ​ ​would ​ ​turn ​ ​the ​ ​volume ​ ​to
maximum, ​ ​which ​ ​we ​ ​thought ​ ​was ​ ​too ​ ​loud. ​ ​But
when ​ ​I ​ ​turn ​ ​it ​ ​down, ​ ​she ​ ​would ​ ​cry. ​ ​So ​ ​I ​ ​didn’t
know ​ ​she ​ ​couldn’t ​ ​hear.
 
其 ​实 ​很 小 ， ​她 ​ 喜 ​欢 趴 ​在 ​电 ​子 琴 那 里 睡 ​觉 ​。 ​1 ​岁
多 ， ​她 ​ 会 把 ​电 ​子 琴 ​调 ​到 最 大 声 ， 我 ​们 ​听 起 来 是
很 大 声 的 噪 音 了 ， 我 要 是 把 喇 叭 声 音 ​调 ​小 ， ​她
就 会 哭 ， 所 以 我 根 本 不 知 道 ​她 ​ 听 不 到 。
 
 
Archival ​ ​photographs ​ ​from ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​childhood.
 
With ​ ​captions.
 
 
EVA:  
 
We ​ ​sent ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​a ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing
rehabilitation ​ ​center. ​ ​She ​ ​didn’t ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​play ​ ​with
the ​ ​other ​ ​kids. ​ ​She ​ ​would ​ ​hide ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​corner ​ ​and
cry, ​ ​and ​ ​sat ​ ​all ​ ​day ​ ​from ​ ​morning ​ ​to ​ ​afternoon
waiting ​ ​for ​ ​us. ​ ​It ​ ​lasted ​ ​a ​ ​few ​ ​days. ​ ​We ​ ​decided ​ ​to
give ​ ​up ​ ​and ​ ​sent ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​a ​ ​bilingual ​ ​kindergarten
with ​ ​other ​ ​hearing ​ ​kids.  
 
尝 试 让 她 ​去 ​过 聋 ​人 康 ​复 ​ 中 心 ， ​​ ​​她 ​ 一 直 都 不 愿 意
跟 ​别 ​的 小 朋 友 玩 ， 只 是 ​躲 ​在 角 落 哭 。 ​她 ​ 在 幼 儿
园 ​ 从 早 上 坐 到 下 午 ， 等 我 ​们 ​来 。 ​连 续 坚 ​持 了 几
天 都 是 ​这 样 ​。 我 ​们 ​就 放 弃 了 。 ​就 把 她 接 出 来 送
到 一 个 正 常 的 幼 儿 园 。
 
11
 
SOT ​ ​EVA ​ ​CHAN

Archival ​ ​photographs ​ ​from ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​childhood.

 
I ​ ​know ​ ​my ​ ​daughter ​ ​can ​ ​still ​ ​hear ​ ​a ​ ​little ​ ​bit. ​ ​She
can ​ ​speak ​ ​a ​ ​little ​ ​bit. ​ ​Sarah ​ ​really ​ ​wants ​ ​to ​ ​speak,
although ​ ​she ​ ​can’t ​ ​pronounce ​ ​well. ​ ​She ​ ​has ​ ​a
strong ​ ​sense ​ ​of ​ ​pride. ​ ​We ​ ​decided ​ ​not ​ ​to ​ ​put ​ ​her ​ ​in
a ​ ​silent ​ ​world.
 
我 知 道 我 女 儿 ​还 ​有 一 点 点 听 的 神 ​经 细 ​胞 ， ​她 ​ 可
以 ​说 ​一 点 ​话 ​的 。 ​她 ​ 很 想 ​说 话 ​， 虽 然 ​她 ​ 发 ​音 不
准 。 ​她 ​ 的 自 尊 心 很 强 。 所 以 我 ​们 觉 ​得 不 ​应 该 ​放
她 ​ 在 一 个 无 声 、 不 ​说 话 ​的 世 界 。  

Title ​ ​Card ​ ​2:
Sarah ​ ​never ​ ​received ​ ​special ​ ​education ​ ​in
China. ​ ​She ​ ​taught ​ ​herself ​ ​to ​ ​speak ​ ​and ​ ​lip-read
Mandarin, ​ ​Cantonese ​ ​and ​ ​English.

Title ​ ​Card ​ ​3:  
She ​ ​prefers ​ ​lip-reading ​ ​and ​ ​texting. ​ ​It ​ ​is ​ ​unclear
that ​ ​how ​ ​much ​ ​she ​ ​hears ​ ​to ​ ​communicate.



SOT ​ ​SARAH
Establishing ​ ​shots ​ ​of ​ ​San ​ ​Diego

May, ​ ​2017
Sarah ​ ​travelling ​ ​to ​ ​California ​ ​with ​ ​her ​ ​family.

Sarah ​ ​talking ​ ​to ​ ​her ​ ​family.
If ​ ​I ​ ​don’t ​ ​wear ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids, ​ ​I ​ ​can ​ ​hear ​ ​the
biggest ​ ​sound.

(If ​ ​I ​ ​wear ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids) ​ ​I ​ ​can ​ ​hear ​ ​everything
in ​ ​my ​ ​life.”
 
Most ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​time ​ ​I ​ ​always ​ ​try ​ ​to ​ ​talk ​ ​with ​ ​my
friends ​ ​without ​ ​my ​ ​hearing ​ ​aid.
I’m ​ ​good ​ ​at ​ ​lips ​ ​reading. ​ ​No ​ ​one ​ ​teach ​ ​me. ​ ​Only
me. ​ ​I ​ ​have ​ ​to ​ ​watch ​ ​your ​ ​mouth ​ ​and ​ ​understand
your ​ ​mean.
 
12
SOT ​ ​EVA ​ ​CHAN
 
Eva ​ ​talking ​ ​and ​ ​interacting ​ ​with ​ ​Sarah ​ ​in ​ ​a
hotel ​ ​room.  
我 ​觉 ​得 ​她 ​ 只 有 ​10-20% ​正 常 人 的 听 力 。 我 叫 ​她 ​ ，
她 ​ 能 听 到 ， 能 分 辨 是 我 的 声 音 。
她 ​ 带 ​耳 机 只 是 会 听 到 有 声 音 ， ​她 ​ 一 定 是 ​lips
reading ​的 。

I ​ ​think ​ ​she ​ ​can ​ ​only ​ ​hear ​ ​10%. ​ ​She ​ ​has ​ ​10% ​ ​-
20% ​ ​normal ​ ​hearing.  
Wearing ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​can ​ ​only ​ ​help ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​identify
sound. ​ ​She ​ ​is ​ ​definitely ​ ​reading ​ ​lips.
 
我 一 直 跟 ​她 ​ 说 ​她 ​ 的 耳 机 用 了 四 五 年 了 ， 是 ​时 ​候
要 ​换 ​耳 机 了 。 但 她 说 一 付 耳 机 太 贵 了 ， 她 不 舍
得 。
我 家 比 较 特 殊 ， 我 要 很 努 力 工 作 才 能 支 撑 家
庭 。 她 是 一 个 很 有 孝 心 的 女 儿 。

I’ve ​ ​been ​ ​telling ​ ​her, ​ ​your ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​are ​ ​almost
five-years-old. ​ ​It’s ​ ​time ​ ​to ​ ​get ​ ​a ​ ​new ​ ​pair. ​ ​But ​ ​she
said ​ ​they’re ​ ​too ​ ​expensive.  
I ​ ​have ​ ​a ​ ​different ​ ​family ​ ​situation. ​ ​I ​ ​have ​ ​to ​ ​work
hard ​ ​to ​ ​support ​ ​the ​ ​family. ​ ​I ​ ​know ​ ​she
understands ​ ​and ​ ​cares ​ ​about ​ ​me.

SOT ​ ​CAROL ​ ​CHOU
CG:
Carol ​ ​Chou, ​ ​AuD
Audiologist ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​University ​ ​of ​ ​California, ​ ​Los
Angeles
 
Sarah’s ​ ​trip ​ ​to ​ ​the ​ ​death ​ ​valley.
Establishing ​ ​shots ​ ​of ​ ​death ​ ​valley.
 
A ​ ​lot ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​times ​ ​people ​ ​stick ​ ​to ​ ​their ​ ​old ​ ​hearing
aids. ​ ​One ​ ​possibility ​ ​is ​ ​simply ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​are
not ​ ​loud ​ ​enough ​ ​for ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​hear. ​ ​Another
possibility ​ ​is ​ ​that ​ ​when ​ ​the ​ ​sound ​ ​is ​ ​presented, ​ ​her
ears… ​ ​they ​ ​don’t ​ ​really ​ ​have ​ ​the ​ ​ability ​ ​to
interpret ​ ​the ​ ​sound ​ ​anymore. ​ ​It ​ ​is ​ ​common ​ ​to ​ ​see
people ​ ​not ​ ​wanting ​ ​to ​ ​do ​ ​something ​ ​about ​ ​hearing
loss ​ ​progression.
 
13
 
Sarah ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​Death ​ ​Valley ​ ​National ​ ​Park ​ ​taking
photos ​ ​with ​ ​her ​ ​phone.
 
Having ​ ​hearing ​ ​aids ​ ​does ​ ​not ​ ​restore ​ ​normal
hearing. ​ ​You ​ ​do ​ ​not ​ ​hear ​ ​normally ​ ​as ​ ​someone
who ​ ​has ​ ​normal ​ ​hearing. ​ ​It ​ ​amplifies ​ ​sound ​ ​for
you, ​ ​but ​ ​if ​ ​there’s ​ ​damage ​ ​in ​ ​your ​ ​inner ​ ​ear, ​ ​or
any ​ ​kind ​ ​of ​ ​distortion ​ ​that ​ ​caused ​ ​by ​ ​the ​ ​ear ​ ​cell
damage, ​ ​you ​ ​would ​ ​get ​ ​that ​ ​kind ​ ​of ​ ​distortion
through ​ ​hearing ​ ​aid.
 

SOT ​ ​CAROL ​ ​CHOU
 
“The ​ ​fact ​ ​that ​ ​she’s ​ ​been ​ ​able ​ ​to ​ ​pick ​ ​up ​ ​three
languages; ​ ​we ​ ​don’t ​ ​see ​ ​that ​ ​very ​ ​often ​ ​at ​ ​all.”
 
Hollywood ​ ​establishing ​ ​shots.  
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH
NAT ​ ​SOUND

Sarah ​ ​walking.
Street ​ ​artist ​ ​playing ​ ​ukulele ​ ​on ​ ​Hollywood
Blvd.
 
I’m ​ ​going ​ ​to ​ ​Hollywood ​ ​sign. ​ ​But ​ ​I ​ ​don’t ​ ​know
where ​ ​is ​ ​the ​ ​Hollywood ​ ​sign.
 

SOT ​ ​SARAH
Actuality ​ ​shot ​ ​in ​ ​Hollywood.
 
(Cantonese) ​ ​I’m ​ ​lost! ​ ​Don’t ​ ​speak ​ ​to ​ ​me.
 

Sunset ​ ​Blvd. ​ ​establishing ​ ​shots.

14
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH
Actuality ​ ​shot ​ ​in ​ ​Hollywood
 
In ​ ​my ​ ​dream, ​ ​Hollywood ​ ​is ​ ​an ​ ​amazing ​ ​place. ​ ​But
I ​ ​arrived ​ ​here, ​ ​I ​ ​thought, ​ ​Hollywood ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​little
poor. ​ ​A ​ ​little ​ ​poor.
 
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH
Hollywood
 
In ​ ​China ​ ​I ​ ​feel ​ ​stressful ​ ​and ​ ​difficult. ​ ​In ​ ​hearing
school, ​ ​only ​ ​me ​ ​is ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing. ​ ​I ​ ​have ​ ​many
bully ​ ​times. ​ ​in ​ ​grade ​ ​nine, ​ ​I ​ ​had ​ ​to ​ ​fight ​ ​with ​ ​five
male ​ ​classmates. ​ ​Only ​ ​me ​ ​is ​ ​woman. ​ ​No ​ ​one ​ ​can
help ​ ​me.
 
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH
Sarah ​ ​standing ​ ​in ​ ​front ​ ​of ​ ​a ​ ​La ​ ​La ​ ​Land ​ ​poster.
 
(Cantonese) ​ ​I ​ ​don’t ​ ​fit ​ ​in. ​ ​I ​ ​can’t ​ ​present ​ ​clearly.
And ​ ​I ​ ​don’t ​ ​hear ​ ​well ​ ​enough ​ ​to ​ ​understand
everything. ​ ​They ​ ​think ​ ​I’m ​ ​stupid ​ ​or ​ ​I’m ​ ​an ​ ​idiot.  
 
我 不 是 很 会 跟 人 相 ​处 ​。 怎 么 ​说 呢 ​， 就 是 口 才 不
太 好 。 耳 ​朵 ​也 不 ​灵 ​ 。 他 ​们 觉 ​得 是 我 ​傻 ​ 的 ， 是 个
白 痴 。
 
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH
Sarah ​ ​walking ​ ​on ​ ​Hollywood ​ ​Blvd.

I ​ ​can’t ​ ​find ​ ​myself. ​ ​I ​ ​don’t ​ ​know ​ ​what ​ ​can ​ ​I ​ ​do. ​ ​I
don’t ​ ​know ​ ​where ​ ​is ​ ​my ​ ​goal.

Title ​ ​Cards4:
Last ​ ​year, ​ ​with ​ ​the ​ ​hope ​ ​of ​ ​finding ​ ​a ​ ​sense ​ ​of
belonging, ​ ​Sarah ​ ​decided ​ ​t ​ ​​ ​o ​ ​move ​ ​to
Vancouver ​ ​to ​ ​study ​ ​American ​ ​sign ​ ​language
(ASL).  

MUSIC
Piano ​ ​music
 
15
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH

Airport ​ ​sequence.
 
Sarah ​ ​walks ​ ​down ​ ​the ​ ​stairs.

(Going ​ ​to ​ ​Vancouver ​ ​is ​ ​because…) ​ ​I ​ ​want ​ ​to
challenge ​ ​myself. ​ ​I ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​know ​ ​how ​ ​far... ​我 的
极 ​ 限 在 ​哪 ​ 里 ​​ ​(how ​ ​far ​ ​I ​ ​can ​ ​go)

SOT ​ ​SARAH
Sarah ​ ​checking ​ ​in.
 
Deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​community ​ ​is ​ ​very ​ ​much
a ​ ​minority ​ ​in ​ ​China. ​ ​We ​ ​don’t ​ ​feel ​ ​respected.
People ​ ​frequently ​ ​ask ​ ​me: ​ ​“Why ​ ​can’t ​ ​you ​ ​hear?
 
听 力 不 好 在 中 国 就 是 个 很 特 ​别 ​很 陌 生 的 劣 ​势 ​群
体 。 我 ​们 ​很 少 得 到 尊 重 。 我 从 小 到 大 （ 被 ） ​问
得 最 多 的 就 是 ​“ ​你 怎 么 会 听 不 懂 ？ ​”
 
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH
Sarah ​ ​walking ​ ​to ​ ​the ​ ​security ​ ​checkpoint.
(Mandarin) ​ ​To ​ ​be ​ ​honest, ​ ​my ​ ​ultimate ​ ​confusion
was: ​ ​Why ​ ​can’t ​ ​I ​ ​hear? ​ ​But ​ ​as ​ ​I ​ ​grow ​ ​older, ​ ​I’ve
learned ​ ​to ​ ​cope ​ ​with ​ ​the ​ ​reality.  

(Cantonese) ​ ​Surprisingly, ​ ​those ​ ​who ​ ​had ​ ​bullied
me ​ ​came ​ ​to ​ ​apologize ​ ​recently. ​ ​Perhaps ​ ​we’ve ​ ​all
grown ​ ​up.
 
说 实 话 ​从 小 到 大 我 最 困 惑 的 是 我 ​为 ​什 么 会 得 了
听 力 不 好 的 ​问 题 ​。 但 随 着 我 年 ​纪 ​越 来 越 大 ， 我
反 而 更 淡 然 地 接 受 了 它 。
 
那 些 小 时 候 欺 负 过 我 的 人 会 莫 名 其 妙 回 来 跟 我
说 对 不 起 ， 其 实 如 果 他 们 不 说 ， 我 当 然 已 经 不
记 得 了 。
 
NAT ​ ​SOUND
Airplane ​ ​landing ​ ​Vancouver

MUSIC
 

 
16
 
Vancouver ​ ​establishing ​ ​shots.
Sarah ​ ​home ​ ​establishing ​ ​shots.
Sarah ​ ​getting ​ ​ready ​ ​for ​ ​school ​ ​sequence.
 
 
 
Vancouver ​ ​City ​ ​College ​ ​establishing ​ ​shots.  

NAT
Sequence:
Sarah ​ ​learning ​ ​ASL ​ ​and ​ ​interacting ​ ​with ​ ​new
classmates.

 

 
 
SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN
Students ​ ​in ​ ​class.
Title ​ ​Card:  
Aastrid ​ ​Evensen, ​ ​Sarah’s ​ ​ASL ​ ​Instructor ​ ​at
VCC
 
Growing ​ ​up ​ ​in ​ ​China ​ ​she’s ​ ​had ​ ​a ​ ​lot ​ ​of ​ ​probably
frustrating ​ ​experiences. ​ ​Feeling ​ ​not ​ ​very ​ ​happy
and ​ ​perhaps ​ ​kind ​ ​of ​ ​marginalized ​ ​and ​ ​depressed.  

 
Sarah ​ ​signing ​ ​with ​ ​her ​ ​classmate.
 
I ​ ​think ​ ​she’s ​ ​made ​ ​a ​ ​really ​ ​good ​ ​strong
relationship ​ ​with ​ ​people ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​class.
 
Medium ​ ​shots ​ ​and ​ ​close-up ​ ​of ​ ​Sarah’s
classmates.
Here ​ ​there ​ ​is ​ ​quite ​ ​a ​ ​variety ​ ​of ​ ​different ​ ​people
here. ​ ​Some ​ ​from ​ ​different ​ ​countries. ​ ​Some
students ​ ​grew ​ ​up ​ ​here ​ ​but ​ ​never ​ ​went ​ ​to ​ ​school.
So ​ ​they ​ ​just ​ ​worked ​ ​all ​ ​their ​ ​life, ​ ​developed ​ ​no
language ​ ​at ​ ​all, ​ ​not ​ ​even ​ ​sign ​ ​language. ​ ​So ​ ​really
their ​ ​communication ​ ​was ​ ​very ​ ​limited. ​ ​A ​ ​lot ​ ​just
gesturing ​ ​to ​ ​get ​ ​through ​ ​life.
SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN ​ ​(with ​ ​interpreter)  

Sarah ​ ​signing ​ ​with ​ ​Aastrid  
For ​ ​me ​ ​to ​ ​see ​ ​the ​ ​students ​ ​becoming ​ ​successful
being ​ ​happy ​ ​being ​ ​healthy ​ ​and ​ ​improving ​ ​their
situation. ​ ​You ​ ​can ​ ​see ​ ​the ​ ​sparkle ​ ​in ​ ​their ​ ​eyes.

SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN ​ ​(with ​ ​interpreter)  

Aastrid ​ ​interacting ​ ​with ​ ​the ​ ​students.

I’m ​ ​deaf ​ ​as ​ ​well. ​ ​I ​ ​also ​ ​identify ​ ​with ​ ​them. ​ ​And ​ ​I
feel ​ ​like ​ ​we ​ ​have ​ ​similarities ​ ​and ​ ​we ​ ​share
identities ​ ​and ​ ​being ​ ​a ​ ​member ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​deaf
community.
17

Sarah ​ ​intends ​ ​to ​ ​sign ​ ​and ​ ​speak ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​same
time.

What ​ ​she ​ ​grew ​ ​up ​ ​with ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​strong ​ ​hearing ​ ​culture.
So ​ ​talking ​ ​and ​ ​listening ​ ​and ​ ​no ​ ​sign ​ ​language.
When ​ ​she ​ ​came ​ ​here ​ ​that ​ ​was ​ ​a ​ ​big ​ ​challenge ​ ​for
her ​ ​because ​ ​she ​ ​had ​ ​to ​ ​learn ​ ​to ​ ​use ​ ​her ​ ​eyes ​ ​and
her ​ ​ear ​ ​rather ​ ​than ​ ​her ​ ​voice ​ ​and ​ ​her ​ ​ears.
 
 
ASL ​ ​gesture ​ ​chart.
ASL ​ ​signing ​ ​close-up.
 
With ​ ​ASL ​ ​you ​ ​don’t ​ ​use ​ ​your ​ ​voice. ​ ​You ​ ​can’t
talk ​ ​and ​ ​sign ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​same ​ ​time ​ ​because ​ ​speaking ​ ​is
English. ​ ​ASL ​ ​and ​ ​language ​ ​is ​ ​different ​ ​structure.
Your ​ ​brain ​ ​just ​ ​can’t ​ ​handle ​ ​that.  
 
SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Sarah ​ ​looking ​ ​confused ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​class.
 
For ​ ​Sarah, ​ ​we’ve ​ ​been ​ ​encouraging ​ ​her ​ ​to ​ ​go ​ ​with
and ​ ​culture, ​ ​to ​ ​sign ​ ​and ​ ​maybe ​ ​not ​ ​use ​ ​her ​ ​voice.
We ​ ​had ​ ​to ​ ​explain ​ ​why. ​ ​To ​ ​explain ​ ​deaf ​ ​culture.
We ​ ​often ​ ​get ​ ​together ​ ​and ​ ​it’s ​ ​visual ​ ​and ​ ​it ​ ​is
communication ​ ​through ​ ​visual ​ ​mean. ​ ​For ​ ​her ​ ​to
just ​ ​use ​ ​her ​ ​voice ​ ​and ​ ​not ​ ​sign ​ ​in ​ ​that ​ ​situation ​ ​is
kind ​ ​of ​ ​an ​ ​insult ​ ​to ​ ​deaf ​ ​people ​ ​and ​ ​their ​ ​culture.
 

SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Students ​ ​in ​ ​a ​ ​group.

If ​ ​she’s ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​community, ​ ​of ​ ​course ​ ​she
can ​ ​speak ​ ​and ​ ​lip-read.
 
If ​ ​she ​ ​wants ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​part ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​community, ​ ​then ​ ​it’s
important ​ ​that ​ ​she’s ​ ​signing ​ ​when ​ ​she’s ​ ​in ​ ​that
community ​ ​and ​ ​not ​ ​using ​ ​her ​ ​voice.
 
It ​ ​depends ​ ​on ​ ​her ​ ​life ​ ​and ​ ​her ​ ​choice ​ ​that ​ ​she
made.  
NAT
Establishing ​ ​shots ​ ​of ​ ​Cherry ​ ​Blossom ​ ​Festival



Actuality ​ ​sequence:
Sarah ​ ​enjoying ​ ​music ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​cherry ​ ​blossom
festival.

18
SOT ​ ​SARAH

I’m ​ ​used ​ ​to ​ ​speaking. ​ ​I’m ​ ​used ​ ​to ​ ​speaking.  
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH

Sarah ​ ​joining ​ ​her ​ ​new ​ ​friends.

I’m ​ ​in ​ ​between ​ ​of ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hearing ​ ​community. ​ ​I
don’t ​ ​think ​ ​I ​ ​know ​ ​how ​ ​to ​ ​balance.
当 我 游 走 在 ​两 ​ 个 群 体 之 ​间 ​， 我 ​觉 ​得 我 不 会 平
衡 。
 

SOT ​ ​SARAH

Sarah ​ ​watching ​ ​her ​ ​friends ​ ​signing.

 
​ ​I’m ​ ​not ​ ​sure ​ ​if ​ ​I ​ ​identify ​ ​myself ​ ​as ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​hard ​ ​of
hearing. ​ ​My ​ ​classmates ​ ​and ​ ​I ​ ​have ​ ​similar
conditions, ​ ​but ​ ​they ​ ​have ​ ​their ​ ​identities, ​ ​and ​ ​they
share ​ ​a ​ ​stronger ​ ​sense ​ ​of ​ ​belonging ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​deaf
community.

我 ​对 ​我 自 己 是 个 ​聋 ​人 没 有 太 大 的 ​认 ​同 感 。 我 的
同 学 ​们 ​他 ​们 ​的 情 况 跟 我 差 不 多 ， 但 是 他 ​们 对 ​自
己 是 个 ​聋 ​人 的 ​认 ​同 感 比 我 强 烈 。
 
 
SOT ​ ​SARAH

Sarah’s ​ ​friends ​ ​taking ​ ​photographs ​ ​for ​ ​her.
 
But ​ ​my ​ ​classmates ​ ​showed ​ ​me ​ ​kindness. ​ ​They
made ​ ​the ​ ​effort ​ ​to ​ ​open ​ ​up ​ ​their ​ ​world ​ ​to ​ ​me.  
有 的 同 学 ​释 ​放 出 了 他 ​们 ​的 善 意 。 ​让 ​我 更 好 的 融
入 他 ​们 ​的 世 界 。
 
They ​ ​showed ​ ​me ​ ​what ​ ​it's ​ ​like ​ ​to ​ ​be ​ ​respected. ​ ​I
realize ​ ​I ​ ​devalued ​ ​myself.
 
他 ​们 让 ​我 感 受 到 了 尊 ​严 ​。 有 ​时 ​候 我 反 而 ​觉 ​得 我
把 自 己 看 得 太 低 了 。

SOT ​ ​SARAH


 
But ​ ​actually, ​ ​it’s ​ ​might ​ ​just ​ ​be ​ ​my ​ ​lack ​ ​of
confidence. ​ ​If ​ ​I ​ ​can ​ ​be ​ ​more ​ ​confident, ​ ​I ​ ​might ​ ​fit
in ​ ​better.
 
说 ​白 了 很 多 ​时 ​候 是 我 ​对 ​自 己 不 太 自 信 。 如 果 我
更 勇 敢 的 ​话 ​我 ​应 该 ​会 ​处 ​理 得 更 好 。
 
 
19

SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Cherry ​ ​blossom ​ ​festival ​ ​shots.

Deaf ​ ​community ​ ​signing ​ ​together.
 
A ​ ​deaf ​ ​person ​ ​usually ​ ​is ​ ​not ​ ​very ​ ​comfortable
being ​ ​in ​ ​a ​ ​hearing ​ ​world ​ ​in ​ ​general. ​ ​Ninety
percent ​ ​is ​ ​not ​ ​comfortable ​ ​in ​ ​that ​ ​environment ​ ​I
would ​ ​say. ​ ​Because ​ ​there ​ ​is ​ ​a ​ ​language ​ ​barrier.
It’s ​ ​kind ​ ​of ​ ​like ​ ​a ​ ​wall ​ ​to ​ ​put ​ ​up. ​ ​We're ​ ​trying ​ ​to
figure ​ ​out ​ ​how ​ ​to ​ ​take ​ ​those ​ ​barriers ​ ​down, ​ ​kind
of ​ ​meeting ​ ​halfway.
 
Whether ​ ​you’re ​ ​deaf ​ ​or ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​is ​ ​not ​ ​the
point. ​ ​It’s ​ ​how ​ ​you ​ ​self ​ ​identify ​ ​and ​ ​make
yourself ​ ​feel ​ ​good ​ ​about ​ ​who ​ ​you ​ ​are.
 

SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Sarah’s ​ ​friends ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​park.
 
Deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​people ​ ​more ​ ​have ​ ​an
identity ​ ​that ​ ​they ​ ​use ​ ​the ​ ​word ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of
hearing ​ ​as ​ ​their ​ ​identity.  

SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Sarah’s ​ ​friends ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​park.
 
Deaf ​ ​people ​ ​call ​ ​people ​ ​who ​ ​can ​ ​hear ​ ​“hearing
people”. ​ ​But ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​culture, ​ ​people ​ ​who
don’t ​ ​know ​ ​anything ​ ​about ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​people ​ ​would
never ​ ​say ​ ​“I’m ​ ​a ​ ​hearing ​ ​person.”
 
 
SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN
Sarah’s ​ ​friends ​ ​taking ​ ​photos ​ ​for ​ ​each ​ ​other
using ​ ​professional ​ ​DSLR ​ ​cameras.


 
 
So ​ ​some ​ ​label ​ ​has ​ ​been ​ ​made. ​ ​From ​ ​a ​ ​hearing
prospective. ​ ​They ​ ​might ​ ​use ​ ​the ​ ​term ​ ​hearing ​ ​loss.
But ​ ​for ​ ​us ​ ​as ​ ​deaf ​ ​people. ​ ​We ​ ​would ​ ​say ​ ​the ​ ​term
“hearing ​ ​loss” ​ ​is ​ ​more ​ ​from ​ ​a ​ ​medical ​ ​standpoint
as ​ ​a ​ ​label ​ ​rather ​ ​than ​ ​an ​ ​individual ​ ​label. ​ ​So ​ ​It’s
almost ​ ​like ​ ​we’re ​ ​being ​ ​looked ​ ​down ​ ​upon ​ ​and
being ​ ​judge.
 
20
 
SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Sarah’s ​ ​friends ​ ​taking ​ ​photos ​ ​for ​ ​each ​ ​other
using ​ ​professional ​ ​DSLR ​ ​cameras.
 
 
But ​ ​things ​ ​like ​ ​hearing ​ ​impaired… ​ ​Vocabularily,
in ​ ​general, ​ ​public ​ ​people ​ ​think, ​ ​“Oh ​ ​of ​ ​course
we’re ​ ​being ​ ​politically ​ ​correct ​ ​so ​ ​we’re ​ ​going ​ ​to
say ​ ​hearing ​ ​impaired ​ ​rather ​ ​than ​ ​deaf. ​ ​We ​ ​feel
like ​ ​the ​ ​word ​ ​‘deaf’ ​ ​is ​ ​… ​ ​we ​ ​don’t ​ ​want ​ ​to ​ ​use
that ​ ​term ​ ​and ​ ​it ​ ​seems ​ ​offensive. ​ ​But ​ ​actually ​ ​it’s
quite ​ ​the ​ ​opposite.
 

SOT ​ ​AASTRID ​ ​EVENSEN

Sarah’s ​ ​friends ​ ​at ​ ​the ​ ​park ​ ​taking ​ ​group
pictures.
 
So ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​people ​ ​in ​ ​deaf ​ ​community ​ ​say ​ ​No ​ ​we
are ​ ​deaf, ​ ​that’s ​ ​how ​ ​we ​ ​identify, ​ ​we ​ ​use ​ ​that ​ ​term,
that’s ​ ​it. ​ ​So ​ ​instead ​ ​of ​ ​having ​ ​that ​ ​feeling ​ ​like
hearing ​ ​people ​ ​are ​ ​trying ​ ​to ​ ​fix ​ ​us.

We ​ ​know ​ ​we ​ ​have ​ ​been ​ ​labeled ​ ​as ​ ​having ​ ​a
disability ​ ​because ​ ​we ​ ​can’t ​ ​hear. ​ ​But ​ ​we ​ ​are ​ ​fully
able ​ ​to ​ ​do ​ ​anyone ​ ​else ​ ​can ​ ​do.
NAT

Vancouver ​ ​city ​ ​views.

MUSIC
Piano ​ ​music ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​background



SOT ​ ​SARAH

Sarah ​ ​riding ​ ​a ​ ​bus ​ ​looking ​ ​out ​ ​of ​ ​the ​ ​window.

I ​ ​think ​ ​it’s ​ ​the ​ ​most ​ ​important ​ ​to ​ ​recognize
ourselves.
我 觉 得 做 人 最 重 要 的 就 是 认 同 自 己 。

Many ​ ​people ​ ​told ​ ​me, ​ ​they ​ ​feel ​ ​like ​ ​a ​ ​wall
with ​ ​hearing ​ ​person. ​ ​I ​ ​think ​ ​it’s ​ ​not ​ ​a ​ ​serious
problem. ​ ​It ​ ​depends ​ ​on ​ ​yourself. ​ ​If ​ ​you ​ ​give
enough ​ ​confidence ​ ​to ​ ​yourself, ​ ​I ​ ​think ​ ​nothing
is ​ ​impossible.
21
SOT ​ ​SARAH

Sarah ​ ​walking ​ ​on ​ ​the ​ ​street ​ ​at ​ ​night.


I’m ​ ​fine ​ ​on ​ ​my ​ ​own.. ​ ​Although ​ ​sometimes ​ ​I ​ ​do
feel ​ ​lonely. ​ ​But ​ ​I ​ ​have ​ ​to ​ ​go ​ ​on. ​ ​For ​ ​this ​ ​path ​ ​I
chose. ​ ​I ​ ​have ​ ​to ​ ​go ​ ​on.
 
一 个 人 生 活 很 好 。 虽 然 很 多 ​时 ​候 ​晚 ​ 上 我 ​确 ​ 实 ​感
到 非 常 孤 独 。 但 是 我 必 ​须 坚 ​持 下 去 ， 因 ​为 这 ​条
路 是 我 ​选 择 ​的 ， 我 跪 着 也 要 走 完 。
MUSIC
Piano ​ ​music

Title ​ ​Card5:
Sarah ​ ​is ​ ​hard ​ ​of ​ ​hearing ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​hearing ​ ​world,
yet ​ ​she ​ ​is ​ ​also ​ ​hearing ​ ​in ​ ​the ​ ​deaf ​ ​and ​ ​hard ​ ​of
hearing ​ ​world. ​ ​She ​ ​is ​ ​still ​ ​trying ​ ​to ​ ​find ​ ​her
balance.  

6: ​ ​Sarah ​ ​wishes ​ ​to ​ ​become ​ ​fluent ​ ​in ​ ​ASL ​ ​and
get ​ ​better ​ ​on ​ ​speaking ​ ​and ​ ​lip-reading ​ ​English.  

7: ​ ​She ​ ​hopes ​ ​to ​ ​start ​ ​an ​ ​educational
organization ​ ​in ​ ​China ​ ​one ​ ​day ​ ​to ​ ​encourage
both ​ ​sign ​ ​language ​ ​and ​ ​oral ​ ​communication.



MUSIC

Sarah’s ​ ​home ​ ​establishing ​ ​shots.

Sarah ​ ​celebrating ​ ​her ​ ​birthday.

Fade ​ ​to ​ ​black.


22
MUSIC  
 
Graphic:
A ​ ​special ​ ​thanks ​ ​to:  
Sarah ​ ​Yan ​ ​Zhang  
Eva ​ ​Yeetong ​ ​Chan  
Dr. ​ ​Carol ​ ​Chou
Aastrid ​ ​Evensen
Vancouver ​ ​Community ​ ​College
Michael ​ ​Wright
David ​ ​Wright
Mary ​ ​Ann ​ ​De ​ ​Castro  
Yayoi ​ ​Takeuchi
Jesse ​ ​Haixu ​ ​Liu
Vincent ​ ​Teng ​ ​II
Carlo ​ ​Castillo
Henry ​ ​Wang ​ ​Hai
Ferdie ​ ​San ​ ​Andres
Jorrelle ​ ​Faytaren-San ​ ​Andres
 
 

MUSIC  

Graphic:
Documentary ​ ​& ​ ​Original ​ ​Music ​ ​Produced ​ ​by
Chinwai ​ ​Christy ​ ​Wong
 
Music ​ ​and ​ ​graphic ​ ​fade ​ ​to ​ ​black.
 

 






23
V. ​ ​Reference  

Interview ​ ​with ​ ​Chou, ​ ​Carol ​ ​(AuD) ​ ​on​ ​February ​ ​27,​ ​2017.
Interview ​ ​with ​ ​Zhang, ​ ​Yan ​ ​Sarah ​ ​on​ ​March ​ ​14,​ ​2017.
Interview ​ ​with ​ ​Giadino, ​ ​Kristine ​ ​on​ ​March ​ ​15,​ ​2017.
Interview ​ ​with ​ ​Evensen, ​ ​Aastrid ​ ​on​ ​March ​ ​13,​ ​2017.
Interview ​ ​with ​ ​Chan, ​ ​Yee-Tong ​ ​Eva ​ ​on​ ​May ​ ​13,​ ​2017.
24 
Asset Metadata
Creator Wong, Chinwai (author) 
Core Title Read my voice: a documentary 
Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance) 
School Annenberg School for Communication 
Degree Master of Arts 
Degree Program Specialized Journalism 
Publication Date 11/14/2017 
Defense Date 11/11/2017 
Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital) 
Tag Balance,Confusion,Courage,deaf,Disability,experience,hearing,hearing loss,OAI-PMH Harvest,Sign language,Vancouver,Woman 
Language Chinese, English
Advisor Birman, Dan (committee chair), Parks, Michael (committee member), Peyser, Michael (committee member) 
Creator Email chinwai@usc.edu,chinwaiw@hotmail.com 
Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-455019 
Unique identifier UC11265678 
Identifier etd-WongChinwa-5897.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-455019 (legacy record id) 
Legacy Identifier etd-WongChinwa-5897-0.pdf 
Dmrecord 455019 
Document Type Thesis 
Rights Wong, Chinwai 
Type texts
Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection) 
Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law.  Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a... 
Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library
Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA
Abstract (if available)
Abstract Sarah Zhang was born with severe hearing loss in China in 1992. She has been living in the hearing world since she could remember. Sarah taught herself to speak and lip-read in three languages: Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese and English. Although she says she has no trouble communicating, she found herself out of place in the hearing world. Sarah made the decision to leave home to enroll in an American Sign Language program in Vancouver in 2016. She sought a sense of belonging by learning ASL and meeting people in the deaf community who share similar experiences. However, because she had never been in a deaf community before, it was difficult for her to fit into the new environment as well. This left Sarah confused about where she belongs: deaf or hearing. 
Tags
deaf
hearing loss
Linked assets
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
doctype icon
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses 
Action button