Misunderstood: American Sign Language Mistaken as Gang Signs
If you decide to google, type in one of these phrases, “mistake ASL for gang signs, ASL as Gang Signs TikTok, or ASL vs Gang Signs.”
You will learn many shocking revelations regarding Deaf people were being misunderstood for using American Sign Language.
ASL Summary Video Provided by Kyle Morris
The confusion between American Sign Language (ASL) and gang signs is a serious issue that has led to misunderstandings and dangerous situations for Deaf individuals especially, Deaf individuals who are not white.
This article explores the origins of this confusion, its impact on the Deaf community, and the role of popular culture in perpetuating these misconceptions.
Past Research on ASL and Gang Signs Issue
The issue of mistaking ASL for gang signs has been ongoing for nearly three decades. In 1995, Cynthia Smith and Robert L. Morgan published an article titled “Awareness of Deaf Sign Language and Gang Signs,” expressing concerns about the overlap between ASL handshapes and gang signs. Their research highlighted how these misunderstandings have led to deadly encounters between Deaf individuals and gang-affiliated people.
They listed the both Gangs and ASL handshapes appear to be overlapped. Their document can be found here (link to the original document). Smith and Morgan’s concerns were confirmed over time.
Real-Life Consequences
Misunderstandings about ASL can have severe consequences. In May 2018, United Shades of America aired “Disability Community” Episode, W. Kamau Bell interviewed CJ Jones, a Black Deaf Actor/Comedian about his Deaf experience and journey as a Deaf person in America on Season 3: Episode 2. Near the end of CJ Jones’ interview, W. Kamau Bell asked CJ Jones an eye-opening question about Gang Signs.
He said, “My friend Dwayne wants me to ask, do sometimes Black people are signing to each other look like they’re doing gang signs?” CJ Jones mimics gang signs, his interpreter explains to him that Deaf people have been shot. W. Kamau’s shocked expression said it all. CJ Jones confirmed that was the fact. They posted a headline about this incident involving mistaking sign language for gang signs during this episode.
CJ Jones’ interpreter told W Kamau to share his message, that it was a very insensitive question. W. Kamau shouted, “Dwayne, that was an insensitive question. Dwayne Kennedy, very insensitive question”. The camera panned to Dwayne (who seems to be a crew member). He smiled and nodded while giving them a thumbs-up. Everyone laughed. I recognize this question is triggering for CJ Jones.
I’ve always thought that this scene is eye-opening at the same time. Dwayne’s question seems to be trivial, offensive, and triggering, but it is still so important question for us to ask. I’m addressing his question at the end of this article,
“do sometimes Black people are signing to each other look like they’re doing gang signs?” His question will be addressed at the end of the article.
Black Deaf content creators have highlighted these issues on TikTok, sharing their personal experiences and frustrations.”
Nakia Smith became widely known for her teaching of some regional Black Texas Sign Language with her grandfather Jake Smith Jr., which falls under one of the varieties of Black ASL. She explained that “Flat C” handshape as a proposed name sign for President Biden isn’t safe for Deaf communities to use, especially Black Deaf signers, because it is perceived to be a gang sign. The “Flat C” handshape description is the fingers are together and partially bent from the palm at the base joint. (A link to her TikTok post).
Destiny Dutton, shared her harrowing encounter with someone who is gang-affiliated. He mistook her and her friends’ ASL as Gang Signs. Here’s a particular line that is profound, “We walked outside. We talked about [where] we wanna go [to] eat. I remember this guy walked over to us, he was like, ‘you throwing a gang sign? Where you from? What’s your set?’ and I was like, ‘woah, we are deaf and we are using ASL,’” she added.” (A link to her TikTok post)
DeafinitelyDope’s Tiktok post titled, “A Tale of 2 Cultures”, highlighted that “hearing culture tends to perceive Deaf culture as gang signs in relation to sign language.” Deaf culture fears using sign language in fear of it being misunderstood for gang signs.” He showed few contrasts between a gang signs and ASL lexicon signs. (A link to his TikTok post)
Shaheem’s TikTok post titled, “MOON sign was mistaken for a Crip Sign.” His skit recant a situation that escalated and managed to de-escalate the situation because Moon sign perceived to be a “CRIP” gang sign. He made a point that a person should consider the contextual usage of the MOON Sign. (A link to his Tiktok post). Similarly, as was what Nakia mentioned in her Tiktok post.
Lasting Influence of Popular Culture
Popular culture has an immense influence on how everything comes to be, especially the perception of what sign language especially, gang signs means to them.
For example, “a recent Tiktok video @ajaydusss in honor of Pride Month. They suggested creating gang signs instead of using the rainbow symbol for Pride Month. In their video, they incorporated the ILY (I love you) sign and fingerspelling, which can be confusing and inappropriate. Their TikTok video garnered 4.6 million views. (A link to their TikTok).
Popular culture (or “pop culture”) refers in general to the traditions and material culture of a particular society. In the modern West, pop culture refers to cultural products such as music, art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyberculture, television, and radio that are consumed by the majority of a society’s population. Popular culture is those types of media that have mass accessibility and appeal. (Crossman 2019).
Hand Gestures in Popular Culture
In every popular culture, we all use gestural nonverbal communication. Everyone commonly used and universally understood certain gestures. “Thumbs Up” handshape is one of the most common gestures in America. Thumbs Up refers to positive affirmation.
For example, YOU_Thumb Up = You’re Good. Me _Thumb UP = I’m Good. That’s the basic concept of how gestural nonverbal communication works and differs from signed language.
Gang Signs Depict in Music Videos
Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson, known better as YG. He released his song called “Sign Language” in 2021. Interestingly, YG named his song, Sign Language, which conflated with the American Sign Language of Deaf Communities, makes it hard for people to distinguish Gang Signs from ASL. YG’s Sign Language (2021) lyrics. Genius source: link; YouTube link.
Twist your fingers up, bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang (Oh)
Throw up your gang, n[_]a, bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang
What set you claim, n[_]a? Bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang
It’s all the same, n[_]a, bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang
Twist your fingers up, bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang (Bang)
Throw up your gang, n[_]a, bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang (Bang)
What set you claim, n[_]a? Bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang (Bang)
It’s all the same, n[_]a, bang, n[_]a-n[_]a, bang (Bang).
“Throwing up a Gang Sign” or “Throwing up a Set” phrases contain a specific handshape to declare your affiliation with a group. This portion only refers to gangs and their affiliation. His song contains no references to Deaf Awareness relate to American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. YG’s Sign Language video garnered 7.3 million views.
Kendrick Lamar’s latest music video, “NOT LIKE US” met a popular culture standard because it appeals to diverse audiences and is one of the most widely popular songs of this year. I noticed that Kendrick and the participants threw up gang signs at the end of his video.
This is an indication of how gang signs are prevalent through hip-hop music videos and some of these gang signs are easily recognizable. Kendrick Lamar’s NOT LIKE US music video garnered 38 million views and counting.
Gestures of Solidarity in Black and Popular Cultures
Gestures of Solidarity in African American Culture article offers us a clue of how gang signs possibly formed through cultural bonds.
In June 2020, the National Museum of African American History & Culture published an article, Gestures of Solidarity in African American Culture. They highlighted the importance of cultural norms behind the gestures that are being communicated within African American communities.
African Americans often use gestures to show that they respect and admire one another. Certain movements, or even behaviors or attitudes, also communicate respect for special or sacred places. During worship services, African Americans often use gestures to express reverence and respect (NMAAHC 2020).
The missing puzzle from this article is how gestures involve handshapes in terms of highlighting their special associations with their organizations.
Divine 9 is consists of Black Greek Letter fraternities and sororities organizations that were founded during Jim Crow segregation. These historic organizations exist to this day. The members of these organizations created specific handshape gestures and meanings to reflect their affiliation with these highly reputable organizations.
Certain universities can extend these gestures of solidarity through handshape description. For instance, the University of New Mexico, my alma mater, has its own Lobo handshape.
The other representation of the lobo mascot that has become a key tradition at the university is the famous Lobo Head cheer. The cheer is done by raising your index and pinky fingers, while touching your middle and ring fingers down to your thumb. After emulating the shape of a wolf with your hand, you proceed to chant, “Everyone’s a Lobo, woof woof woof!” (Weber 2019).
Sac State has its own Stinger handshape. It’s the “Stingers Up!” hand gesture that is used by Sac State students, alums and others to show their pride in the Hornets and the university (Sac State, 2018).
And so do gangs operate in similar cultural norms that compel them to create gestures to display their allegiance to a group. As previously discussed, Black Deaf content creators highlighted the differences between ASL and gang signs in their TikTok posts.
There are similar phonological processes in making a sign rely on foundational parameters: handshape, location, movement, palm orientation, and non-manual markers (contextual factors: facial expression, head, and body movement). However, there are a major historical difference between ASL and gang signs.
The Origins of ASL and Gang Signs
American Sign Language has a rich and complex linguistic history behind this language, often to be overlooked. There are countless documented research on American Sign Language available. Summarily, it has a historical connection to LSF (French Sign Language), along with the contribution of indigenous sign languages and regional variation factors. Not only that, Jim Crow segregation shaped regional varieties of Black ASL.
Deaf communities maintain their regional and standard forms of ASL. They share cultural identity, community bond, and pride revolves on American Sign Language.
American Sign Language can be seen in some shows and movies feature Deaf characters or Deaf interpreters using American Sign Language such as Switched at Birth, Marvel’s ECHO, Creed 3, CODA, Barbie with ASL interpretation, and Godzilla & Kong: The New Empire with ASL Interpretation.
Gang signs have a complex origin rooted in cultural identity, nonverbal communication, and territorial marking. Emerging in the early 20th century among marginalized communities, these signs were influenced by military hand signals, media portrayals, and regional variations. Initially, gang signs served as a means for members to display solidarity, mark territory, and communicate silently (Anderson 2023).
Addressing Misconceptions
The perception of gestural communication in popular culture often conflates sign language and gestures of solidarity. There are roots in these misconceptions. People might assume that Deaf people do not have a language of their own, defaulting to gang signs as a primary mode of visual communication.
I’m addressing Dwyane’s question, “do sometimes Black people are signing to each other look like they’re doing gang signs?
His question points to the intersectional factors of race, language, and ability playing the role of how popular culture perceives Black Signers supposedly only using gang signs, not American Sign Language.
The implications are the general society’s perception of Black signers using gang signs leads to suspicion falls on Black Deaf people whose native or second language is American Sign Language. Black Deaf people are more likely to be assumed being part of a gang when they are not just because they’re Black.
As Audre Lorde famously said, “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”
Continuous misconceptions about their usage of American Sign Language are more likely to pose higher risks for Black Deaf individuals who navigate through the world that suspect them using gang signs without consideration about their Deaf identities.
Last June, Leigh Middlebrook, Black Deaf content creator, posted a reel to express her frustration with gang signs remarks that refers to her recent ASL cover song. (A link to her reel). Someone left similar remarks under Godzilla & Kong: The New Empire’s official trailer with ASL Interpretation by Otis Jones on YouTube.
Recently, @antlasworld on Instagram posted Andre Hepkin, a local reporter’s interview with Brenda Stewart, involved her son who was one of Deaf victims ended up got stabbed during a birthday celebration at a bar in Hallandale Beach, Florida because the perpetrators mistakenly interpreted their ASL as gang signs. (a link to their post).
Conclusion
These recent remarks and incident are still reminding us that Black Deaf signers and Deaf communities-at-large are still in a precarious position because of people’s an inability to differentiate gang signs from ASL. The fear of being misunderstood for using a visual language that is accessible to them, unlike spoken language, continues to haunt them and all who know ASL.
The ongoing confusion between ASL and gang signs underscores the need for greater awareness and education within popular culture and its communities.
Sources:
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Gestures of Solidarity in African American culture. National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2020, June 13). https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/gestures-solidarity-african-american-culture
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