---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So that is a shift I've seen from growing…"
description: "\"So that is a shift I've seen from growing up: watching my parents feel oppressed by the hearing man, to now deaf people being empowered with their own ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg"
---

#  So that is a shift I've seen from growing up: watching my…

![“So that is a shift I've seen from growing up: watching my parents feel oppressed by the hearing man, to now deaf people being empowered with their own identity. That's very refreshing.” quote by Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg)

> “So that is a shift I've seen from growing up: watching my parents feel oppressed by the hearing man, to now deaf people being empowered with their own identity. That's very refreshing.”

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Shift from oppression to empowerment shows deaf identity gaining strength and pride.

**In simple terms:** Deaf people now embrace identity confidently.

Key Takeaway

Support empowerment and representation of deaf voices.

Themes

disability rights identity empowerment

Mood

hopeful determined

Type

advocational social

When to use this quote

- advocacy
- policy making
- media representation
- education

Key Concepts

social justice cultural pride

Questions to Reflect On

- How can society further empower deaf individuals?
- What role does representation play in identity?

A Different Perspective

Barriers still exist in accessibility.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Deaf people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaf-people/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/)

## Related quotes

> [My dad felt oppressed by the hearing man. All his friends would express to me sometimes how oppressive their own country was and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/my-dad-felt-oppressed-by-the-hearing-man-all-his-friends-would/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [People are literally tracking everything. People are becoming more empowered and knowing what's going into their body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/people-are-literally-tracking-everything-people-are-becoming-more/)

[Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/)

> [Frankly, and let me be blunt, Wikipedia as a readable product is not for us. It's for them. It's for that girl in Africa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/frankly-and-let-me-be-blunt-wikipedia-as-a-readable-product-is-not/)

[Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/)

> [When you have trust and you get that trust in place throughout the company, people are empowered — people are free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/when-you-have-trust-and-you-get-that-trust-in-place-throughout-the/)

[Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/)

> [Kenya’s M-Pesa proves that when people are empowered, they will use digital tech to innovate on their own behalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/kenya-s-m-pesa-proves-that-when-people-are-empowered-they-will-use/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Deaf people are not a monolith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/deaf-people-are-not-a-monolith/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [Hearing people say, 'How can these deaf people understand the show when they come to a rock club?' They're up there, at the front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/hearing-people-say-how-can-these-deaf-people-understand-the-show-when/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [Culturally deaf people don't want to be fixed. They don't feel impaired. They feel complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/culturally-deaf-people-don-t-want-to-be-fixed-they-don-t-feel/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [You throw all these obstacles in front of people, especially a lot of the deaf people that I've known in my life, you throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/you-throw-all-these-obstacles-in-front-of-people-especially-a-lot-of/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [I think deaf people are actually really good at listening, and how ironic is that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-think-deaf-people-are-actually-really-good-at-listening-and-how/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [Most of the deaf people I know are proud to be deaf, and whole and complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/most-of-the-deaf-people-i-know-are-proud-to-be-deaf-and-whole-and/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [When my mother took me to the movies in 1956 to see 'Love Me Tender' with Elvis Presley, what I didn't realize is I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/when-my-mother-took-me-to-the-movies-in-1956-to-see-love-me-tender/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [What hurts this person is not the occurrence itself, for another person might not feel oppressed by this situation at all. What is hurting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-hurts-this-person-is-not-the-occurrence-itself-for-another/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Nobody in this country goes around saying: 'I'm feeling very oppressed by the E.U.' Well, one or two people do, but they're a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/nobody-in-this-country-goes-around-saying-i-m-feeling-very-oppressed/)

[Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/)

> [The common people feel themselves oppressed by the grasping of some, and their vanity is flattered by others. Fired with evil passions, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polybius/the-common-people-feel-themselves-oppressed-by-the-grasping-of-some/)

[Polybius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polybius/)

## More by Paul Raci

> [I started professionally acting in '80.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-started-professionally-acting-in-80/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [American Sign Language is my native tongue. That's the first thing that I learned to communicate with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/american-sign-language-is-my-native-tongue-that-s-the-first-thing/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [I moved out here when I was 40 and guess what, they are not looking for 40-year-olds in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-moved-out-here-when-i-was-40-and-guess-what-they-are-not-looking/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [You're going to see more inclusion in casting in this town, in Hollywood. You're going to see a lot more differently abled people, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/you-re-going-to-see-more-inclusion-in-casting-in-this-town-in/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [You throw all these obstacles in front of people, especially a lot of the deaf people that I've known in my life, you throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/you-throw-all-these-obstacles-in-front-of-people-especially-a-lot-of/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [What I'm going to make sure happens, if I have anything to say about it, now that people are listening - we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/what-i-m-going-to-make-sure-happens-if-i-have-anything-to-say-about/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [We all know in the deaf community, there are deaf actors, men and women who are highly, highly skilled, highly intuitive, highly intelligent, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/we-all-know-in-the-deaf-community-there-are-deaf-actors-men-and-women/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [I had so many deaf uncles that instilled in me this feeling of unconditional love, that's how I was brought up in that community.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-had-so-many-deaf-uncles-that-instilled-in-me-this-feeling-of/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [John Williams was a Vietnam veteran and I'm a Vietnam veteran, I did two tours in Vietnam. So knowing that, that he wrote a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/john-williams-was-a-vietnam-veteran-and-i-m-a-vietnam-veteran-i-did/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [Everybody in Los Angeles is an actor, or they think they are, or they want to be. They're looking for that shot. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/everybody-in-los-angeles-is-an-actor-or-they-think-they-are-or-they/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [My father was deafened at the age of six months from spinal meningitis, so he never knew sound at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/my-father-was-deafened-at-the-age-of-six-months-from-spinal/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [This is why every actor wants to get a script - they want to see what the arc of the character is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/this-is-why-every-actor-wants-to-get-a-script-they-want-to-see-what/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [The Deaf population is not a monolith. It's so layered, so complicated. It's happy, it's sad, it's angry. The gamut of human emotion, amplified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/the-deaf-population-is-not-a-monolith-it-s-so-layered-so-complicated/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [There are too many talented deaf men and women out there who are actors, who really have chops, who really know what they're doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/there-are-too-many-talented-deaf-men-and-women-out-there-who-are/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

> [I'm so blessed that the garden I'm able to pull from, the actor's garden, is as rich as it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/i-m-so-blessed-that-the-garden-i-m-able-to-pull-from-the-actor-s/)

[Paul Raci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

[Explore all 75 Paul Raci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/)

## More Deaf quotes

> [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/)

[Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/)

> [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/)

[Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/)

> [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/)

[R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/)

> [“The rich eat life, the poor eat death; so what is the problem they ask?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-rich-eat-life-the-poor-eat-death-so-what-is-the-problem-they-ask/)

[Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/)

> [My girlfriend and I went to a dinner party the other night and we ended up playing charades. There was another couple there that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/my-girlfriend-and-i-went-to-a-dinner-party-the-other-night-and-we/)

[Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/)

> [In other restaurants you'll see employees signing to each other, since we also hire many deaf men and women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-karcher/in-other-restaurants-you-ll-see-employees-signing-to-each-other-since/)

[Carl Karcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-karcher/)

> [Must whales and dolphins be subjected to deafening noise that will cause more than 3.5 million instances of temporary and/or permanent hearing loss? For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/must-whales-and-dolphins-be-subjected-to-deafening-noise-that-will/)

[Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/)

> [I will love you till a mute women tells his deaf friend about a blind women that saw a girl with no legs walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-love-you-till-a-mute-women-tells-his-deaf-friend-about-a-blind/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“And the blind man said to the deaf man, "Do you see what I hear?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gerard-trotman/and-the-blind-man-said-to-the-deaf-man-do-you-see-what-i-hear/)

[Wayne Gerard Trotman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gerard-trotman/)

> [So the blind will lead the blind, and the deaf shout warnings to one another until their voices are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/so-the-blind-will-lead-the-blind-and-the-deaf-shout-warnings-to-one/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

> [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/)

[Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/)

> [Most profoundly deaf people have speech that is very difficult to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/most-profoundly-deaf-people-have-speech-that-is-very-difficult-to/)

[Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/)

> [But people who think they can project themselves into deafness are mistaken because you can't. And I'm not talking about imagining what a deaf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/but-people-who-think-they-can-project-themselves-into-deafness-are/)

[Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/)

> [There's none as deaf as those who won't listen. I get letters. If they are moronic, they go in the wastepaper basket, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bates/there-s-none-as-deaf-as-those-who-won-t-listen-i-get-letters-if-they/)

[Ken Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bates/)

> [Even though I am nearly deaf, I seem to be gifted with a kind of inner hearing which enables me to detect sounds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/even-though-i-am-nearly-deaf-i-seem-to-be-gifted-with-a-kind-of-inner/)

[Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/)

Browse all 854 Deaf quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "So that is a shift I've seen from growing up: watching my parents feel oppressed by the hearing man, to now deaf people being empowered with their own identity. That's very refreshing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Raci"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growing-up-watching-my-parents-feel/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deaf"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growing-up-watching-my-parents-feel/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/paul-raci-9038_deaf_so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growin_2078050.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“So that is a shift I've seen from growing up: watching my parents feel oppressed by the hearing man, to now…” — Paul Raci",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul Raci",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-raci/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "So that is a shift I've...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growing-up-watching-my-parents-feel/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raci/so-that-is-a-shift-i-ve-seen-from-growing-up-watching-my-parents-feel/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
