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A review by mcclarty03
You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity by Robert Lane Greene
3.0
The book is an important book.
But, just as the author points out how forms of White Supremacy have led to “grammar sticklers” othering by weaponizing grammar rules the author himself inevitably falls into the same traps. For example, statements such as “European languages led the way to the world’s modernization.” How sway? When based on frameworks and paradigms that are being attributed to ancient cultures that inhabited what is now South Asia, Africa, Iran, Turkey, etc. what does that even mean? Using whose resources? According to whose metric?
He also makes mention of English being preeminent and opted for throughout South Africa. Which conflates, for me, preeminence with domination and the natural consequences of colonization.
So there are moments where I really appreciate his attempt at highlighting injustice. And I want to rate the book highly. Yet, others where I’m frustrated by the incongruence with what he says and how he speaks of “European language.” The book in highlighting White Supremacy (he doesn’t go that deep or use that specific language) also engages heavily in it. The reason for the three.
Still, conceptually it’s an important topic. I hope to find something similar by someone with intersectionalities that allow them to pick up on more of these nuances.
But, just as the author points out how forms of White Supremacy have led to “grammar sticklers” othering by weaponizing grammar rules the author himself inevitably falls into the same traps. For example, statements such as “European languages led the way to the world’s modernization.” How sway? When based on frameworks and paradigms that are being attributed to ancient cultures that inhabited what is now South Asia, Africa, Iran, Turkey, etc. what does that even mean? Using whose resources? According to whose metric?
He also makes mention of English being preeminent and opted for throughout South Africa. Which conflates, for me, preeminence with domination and the natural consequences of colonization.
So there are moments where I really appreciate his attempt at highlighting injustice. And I want to rate the book highly. Yet, others where I’m frustrated by the incongruence with what he says and how he speaks of “European language.” The book in highlighting White Supremacy (he doesn’t go that deep or use that specific language) also engages heavily in it. The reason for the three.
Still, conceptually it’s an important topic. I hope to find something similar by someone with intersectionalities that allow them to pick up on more of these nuances.