WEEK 6

Now that I have been looking into code switching so much and kind of discovered this as something I feel like, I have been doing all my life, I wanted to really dig into this. I want to do research into myself and my identity, connected to me being biracial and my personality also being shaped partly through code switching. The main inspiration of doing this was the code switching spoken word by Zaire Krieger. It stayed stuck in my head and I watched it multiple times.

I want to be really vulnrable in this essay, because I want to use the research I am doing also to build a collection around it and always like to make these concepts as personal and naked as possible. I want to really make a line from my youth through the person I am right now and talk about the connection I have in my family and how I feel about all of this. What was also a motivation for me to be focussing on this, is that because of looking into code switching I got a little bit of an identity crisis. Just because I feel like I have been adjusting myself so much to my white environment and I don't even know if that is being myself, because now I don't really feel that comfortable anymore being in spaces where there is a strong White energy.

For the groupproject I will also be focussing on code switching within biracial/bicultural bodies. I have been looking into different sources and media that connects to this, which were some movies, documentaries and a painting.

For now we have decided to make a hotglue focused on codeswitching. We want to combine different personal themes with research and embodied experiences. There is this part to it that kind of feels like a diary and that is to make it really personal and also shows our vulnerability. We also keep an excel sheet for all of archival collecting.

Our collected ideas:

Code switching as a form to achieve representation - Black people in the Wellness field
Wellness is a very white cis dominated space, especially when loking at influencers. Black womxn have to code switch in order to participate within wellness. It is very hard to find representation within this field especially when searching for Black womxn.

Delina
Code switching in the art field

CODE SWITCHING DEFINITIONS

Rooted in Linguistics
The alternating or mixed use of two or more languages, especially within the same discourse.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/code-switching

Code switching can be interpreted in many different ways. From the way you speak, dress, behave, wear your hair to ect. While some might be aware that they are code switching others might not even notice it.

All of us have different experiences and unique ways to interpret the term:

Zhane
African-American code switching
Research into the context of the United States and how Black people have to code switch in order to not be portrayed in a stereotypical way. But also to fit in and be able to reach positions and spaces that you otherwise would not be welcomed in.

Angele
ld
Illustration and animation. There are hardly any Black leading characters and if they exist they are spoken by white people. As a creator and artist how are you able to let your work reflect your identity when you are in an environment where you constantly have to code switch.

Faou
Code Switching in relation to hair
Code switching to embrace your multiple identities. Research into different hair styles and the history of Black hair.

Shaquille
How you can use code switching to find your identity.
How to search for representation in the media, art and pop culture. Code switching as a form of creating space for yourself.

Codeswitching
Moving out of the way for other people to have space
Being overly friendly in order to make other people feel more comfortable