Mother father deaf: The heritage of difference

Almost 90% of the children born to life-long profoundly deaf parents are hearing. Within this extraordinary family setting, hearing children of deaf parents are exposed to and interact with two differing cultural, social and linguistic systems: that of their deaf parents and the Deaf community, and that of hearing peers and adults. The present paper focuses on cultural identity and affiliation of hearing children of deaf parents—a population whose lives incorporate the paradox of being culturally ‘Deaf’ and yet functionally hearing. Data reported here are primarily based on interviews and life histories with 150 adult hearing children of deaf parents throughout the United States. The informants in this study provide an opportunity to explore the parameters and norms of Deaf culture as it contrasts and conflicts with those of Hearing culture.