Refusing to Be Erased
The Significance of Words
Identity: The Anchor That Names Our Experiences
Without an Anchor That Names Our Identities
After some reflection of this CHAMPS incident and finding parallels with my own experiences as a TCK, this is the deeper reason I concluded that explains why switching “BRATS” to “CHAMPS” has such a tremendous impact:
Language that evolves out of a collective and personal acknowledgement of unique and significant experiences serves to validate these experiences. Â Integral in this process are specific vocabulary words accepted by the people involved in these experiences and an overarching identity and sub-identities that names the experiences. Â A change in the terms used to refer to an identity from a place disconnected from the experiences disregards the validated unique and significant experiences. Â
Change the words used to name an identity(ies) without permission from the tribe that claims that identity(ies) and you disregard the sacred process of how a people came to acknowledge and validate their very personal and one another’s unique and significant experiences.
This incident is not just about a name, but an identity that involves a history of victories over difficult journeys, such as having special memories for schools that no longer exist or the long term uncertainty of a parent’s return home. Â Most civilians would not understand things like this. Â People need to be the recognized experts of their own individual and shared experiences.