5A Train Go Sorry

"I am a hearing student (or deaf student) assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions."

What does Train Go Sorry mean? Train Go Sorry means a missed connection or "missed the boat". In the book, this phrase refers to James, a deaf student who goes to visit his brother in prison, and his missed connection with his brother. Has he been able to hear, he may have called his brother ahead of time to make sure he would be able to see him when he went to visit. Instead, James was shuffled around between guards and forced to wait a long time, only to find out that his brother wasn’t around- he was in court that day. If the prison had someone versed in ASL, they could have let James know this information much sooner, instead of keeping him waiting so long. James also feels this term applies to himself because he almost "missed the boat" on life. He came to school being a trouble maker and poor student, and was eventually able to turn his life around and become a honor roll student. He attributed his deafness to being a reason why he wasn't in prison like his brother.

What pair of 'shoes' do you think the main person in the book is walking in and what did she learn? In other words, who or what culture does she want to belong to and why? The main person in the book is the author/narrator Leah Hager Cohen. She is a hearing person who grew up in the world of the deaf; her parents taught at a school for deaf children, and both her grandparents were deaf. Cohen always wanted to be part of the deaf culture, in part because she had been around it since she’d been born. She often felt isolated when she was growing up, as she noticed the rapport the Deaf culture brought deaf people. Cohen wanted to fit in; she also viewed the deaf experience as a shared one, rather than the isolated world of the hearing. She enjoyed the closeness of the school and the students, the physical intimacy of sign language.

What is one image you won't ever forget? Draw us a picture in words to explain this. What chapter is it in? One image I won’t forget is in Chapter 5. Cohen’s grandfather, Sam, collapses and is taken to the hospital. Cohen’s father rushed to the hospital to explain that Sam was deaf, and that he would like to serve as an interpreter. The hospital refused, saying they already had an ASL interpreter, and he was sent away. All attempts to check on Sam’s condition were met with a lack of concern or consideration from the hospital staff. When Cohen’s grandmother went to visit and check on Sam, she was told that he had died of cardiac arrest. This was unforgettable to me because it’s truly shocking that there would be such a lack of concern for Sam on the part of the hospital; it’s very sad and unfair. Had Sam been a patient who could hear, would he have received better care? Would he have lived? It was amazing to me that a hospital wouldn’t have anyone available who could communicate with the deaf.

What are 5 facts about ASL or Deaf culture you think everyone should know after your reading of this book? Of the 2 million Americans who are hearing impaired, only about 200,000 of them are culturally Deaf. American Sign Language was created in 1817, however it wasn’t considered an actual language until the 1950s. For about 100 years, doctors didn’t want deaf children to be taught ASL because they felt it prevented them from being able to master English. They believed knowing English would allow them to live in the hearing world rather than apart from it. 90% of deaf children come from hearing families, so schools are central to Deaf culture. Deaf people, as opposed to other groups with disabilities, have a unique and rich culture, with their own language, social clubs, athletic groups, theater companies, schools and media.