STRUGGLES

Masking and Code Switching

Finding common experience

Photo by Tamara Gak on Unsplash

I will preface this by saying that I have absolutely zero personal understanding of what it’s like to experience racism, or to experience prejudice based on race, colour, or ethnicity. I am a caucasian person living in Canada.

I do have experience with sexism and ableism, which are not the same but share some commonalities, and those common experiences are what I wish to explore.

Not the same

Code switching and masking are not the same thing.

The only real “code switching” I’ve never had to do was putting on my customer service face at work. Sure, we all engage in it to some degree, adjusting our behaviour slightly to fit the context.

This is very different from having to suppress the very essence of who you are for your own safety, or to make others feel more comfortable.

Code Switching

I recently read a very well-written and insightful piece about the allure and fatigue of code-switching, by Medium writer

Synthia Stark

. As good writing does, it got me thinking.

Code-switching involves adjusting one’s style of speech, appearance, behaviour, and mannerisms in ways that will increase the comfort…