“Your English is so good”: Linguistic experiences of racialized students and instructors of a Canadian university

Racism has increasingly been exposed and problematized in public domains, including institutions of higher education. In academia, critical race theory (CRT) guided scholars to uncover everyday experiences racism by highlighting the intersectionality with other identity categories, among which language constitutes an important, yet underexplored, component. Through conceptual lens CRT counter-storytelling as a methodological orientation, this study investigated how racialized graduate students faculty members at Canadian university experienced racialization relation issues language, communication use ethnic names semiotic markers. Individual focus group interviews generated participants’ stories, we applied thematic analysis. Participants generally felt that they were forced into pre-determined essentialized categories race, ethnicity, nationality, language. Racialized non-native speakers official language—English or French—often received compliments inquisitive comments on their proficiency, further accentuated raciolinguistic Otherness caused pain. Conversely, native did not report receiving For East Asian participants especially, speaking White English seemed offset racial stigma psychologically separated them from non-native, English-speaking immigrants who looked like them. These indicate normative expectations. The expected only speak, write, communicate manners, but also Anglicized name against will. impositions questioned resisted some participants, antiracist consciousness was expressed. voices encourage universities validate stories well ways telling stories.