Kristin A. Lindgren, Doreen DeLuca,
and Donna Jo Napoli, Editors
Part One
Culture and Identity
Chapter Four
“I Thought There Would Be More Helen Keller”:
History through Deaf Eyes and Narratives of Representation
Kristen Harmon
The purpose of this letter is to express extreme opposition to the proposed Smithsonian Institution/Gallaudet University exhibit titled “DEAF: A Community of Signers.”
—An audiologist[1]This exhibit must be cautious in presenting any viewpoint which would encourage withdrawal into a small, confined, and poorly informed cultural entity.
—A medical professional[2]Please—the Deaf community has a rich culture with intense bonds. I ask you to let the world experience, as only the Smithsonian Institute can do, a glimpse into this unique, beautiful, and fascinating cultural group.
—A hearing ASL student[3]
1. Letter to the Smithsonian, November 27, 1995. Gallaudet University Archives. Due to restrictions placed upon the research-related use of this archival material, the letter writers to the Smithsonian in this exhibition-related collection are cited as anonymous. For the same reason, logbook entries are also cited as anonymous.
2. Letter to the Smithsonian, November 27, 1995. Gallaudet University Archives.
3. Letter to the Smithsonian, June 19, 1996. Gallaudet University Archives.