As a white woman writing PoC characters, I wanted to use AAVE with my two African-American characters but I don't know how well that would translate with my readers. I know I'll have to do a lot of research to understand how to write the language correctly (as with most of my writing), but I would like to know your opinion on this. Should I use AAVE when my characters are code-switching when they are by themselves or with their families? Or should I leave it out of my writing so I don't offend?
Non-Black Writers: AAVE & Code-Switching in StoryĀ
Iām going to present you with two sides.Ā
My factual opinion with advice on preparing to do this well.
And my personal one, which is to use AAVE sparingly in stories if youāre not a Black writer.
Execution is everything. Approach this as you would adding any secondary language within a story that has a different primary language. In this case, itās adding African American Vernacular English to a story written in prescriptive, standard English. AAVE may use English words, but syntax (word order), context and so on follow its own rules. Those rules should be respected and thereās not much room to play if you donāt know AAVE. Thatās how you get blotched AAVE from people outside of the culture throwing stuff together and making little sense.Ā
To write AAVE how you think it sounds vs. how it is quickly looks like a mockery or racist stereotyping.Ā
So the decision to include would truly depend on:
If you research it thoroughly
Have a Black, AAVE-speaking person to check over itĀ
Our tags as well as Google has plenty of resources for learning, so iāll avoid being repetitive here.Ā
As for the importance of having someone read it; just like you wouldnāt use google translate as your sole source for correct translation, you should not rely on what you think you know. Thereās nuances that are hard to learn on paper. Plus, as AAVE is almost always spoken along with Standard English, most wouldnāt speak completely in Black English. It could easily be 1-2 sentences in a paragraph of dialogue in which it slips out.Ā
Instinctively, I want to say no. Use it sparingly to little as a non-Black writer, because if itās done poorly, itāll distract and put me off as a reader. Iād feel betrayed reading this great story with a Black character only to come across poorly-written AAVE. Even done well, in theory, itās pretty easy to mess up.Ā
Also, how it is spoken, how often, and to whom varies regionally, within families and even individuals. Just another point of research and decision to make if you do include it!Ā
For this in particular, I donāt consider it erasure leaving it out, especially if you make it clear the character is African-American in other ways, and include other pieces of culture and representation. Hair and skin care, decor, family life, culture, and cultural events, to name a few things.
Another reason I feel more protective of AAVE is from how commercialized it has become. Black language is under near constant scrutiny, used by non-Black people on the same breath that itās disrespected. It is seen as a ācool misuseā of English or considered universalĀ āTeen speak.ā Sometimes itās praised, but often made fun of or seen as speaking improperly.
Again, just my perspective and probably differently than how I felt when I started this blog in 2014! I encourage Black readers to share their own.