Where They Do Dat At?: Black Perceptions of African American Vernacular English

Where They Do Dat At?: Black Perceptions of African American Vernacular English

Santeiu Griffin

This essay uses documentaries, literary reviews, and discourse analysis to examine the perceptions African American and African immigrants have of AAVE. Throughout this essay, it is shown that African Americans and African immigrants have a highly complex relationship with AAVE. Historical context and external influences have shaped their understanding of AAVE, often resulting in overall negative perceptions of the dialect and the preference of Standard English. However, within the Black community, covert prestige places value on AAVE as it is a large part of the culture. Conversely, preferring Standard English over AAVE causes strife among Black Americans as it is seen as “not being Black enough” or turning one’s back on their own culture. This shows a clear amount of linguistic insecurity among the African American community regarding their own dialect. Additionally, African immigrants tend to have an aversion towards AAVE as their English learning experience often comes from a British-centered curriculum. There is potential for further research regarding how covert prestige and linguistic insecurity can result in unhealthy gatekeeping within the Black community. This essay also suggests further research on the relationship between language and culture and the formation of a positive sense of identity despite internal strife within one’s own community.