Ep. 140 — *Throwback* Caribbean Sign Languages with Kris M. Ali

Most of us talk about Caribbean language like it only lives on the tongue, but the region has a whole world of languages that live on the hands, in space, and through community memory. We sit down with linguist Kris Ali, a PhD candidate at UC Santa Barbara from Trinidad and Tobago, to trace the real story of Caribbean Sign Languages and why they deserve the same respect we fight for in spoken language politics. Along the way, we break down the biggest misconception of all: sign language is not universal, and it is definitely not “English on the hands.”

We dig into how sign languages actually begin, from organic community formation across generations to the influence of American Sign Language through missionary networks, churches, and deaf education across the Caribbean in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. We talk language prestige and what gets labeled “proper,” why smaller rural varieties can be pushed aside, and how even within one territory you can find multiple sign languages and signing styles. Kristy also shares a concrete example of variation inside Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language that shows how folklore and local culture get encoded into everyday signs.

Then we expand the map with the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras, a place with a strong Caribbean identity and a remarkable history of tactile signing among deaf-blind community members. That story makes the stakes clear: endangered languages documentation is not just academic, it is a way to preserve Caribbean history, protect access to information, and honor communities that have been ignored for too long. We close by naming the goal plainly: legal recognition of local sign languages, better interpreter access in healthcare and justice settings, and real equity for deaf people across the region.  Be sure to check out the transcript of this episode here.

Kris Ali is a PhD candidate in the department of linguistics at University of California Santa Barbara. Her research interests are broadly Caribbean languages, language documentation and description, social and linguistic justice for Caribbean people, decolonial theory, queer and trans linguistics and sign language linguistics. She uses collaborative and community-based research methods, is interested in indigenous research methodologies and follows the Caribbean tradition of liberatory linguistics in which she was trained during her first two degrees at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. She is a trained Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language interpreter. Home for her is Trinidad and Tobago. Learn more about Kris on her website and connect with her on LinkedIn.

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