During Shippensburg University’s Diversity Week, Dr. Tomoko Kudo Grabosky from the counseling center spoke on the prevalence of code-switching in our society on Wednesday, September 25. Grabosky is Japanese-American and immigrated to the United States for college when she was 18 years old. She is a licensed therapist who shared many of her experiences with code-switching throughout her life.

According to Grabosky, code-switching is “the practice of adjusting one’s style of speech, behavior, and/or appearance to mirror the social norms of others.” This can happen in many different scenarios, and everyone has done it at some point. This includes altering the way you dress, speak or act depending on the environment one is in and the people that surround them. 

Grabosky spoke on personal and social identities, highlighting that personal identities refer to how we feel our person differs from others, while social identities refer to how we feel our person resembles others. An example of this could be dressing up for an occasion that is a more professional setting; this is code-switching from your normal attire to match the tone of the event or impress people in positions of power. 

Grabosky speaks English as well as Japanese and often switches between the two based on her surroundings. As an immigrant in college, she observed her peers to conform her behaviors and looks to the societal standards of Americans in an attempt to fit in. 

One of the most important components of code-switching is being aware of when and how we are doing it. There are scenarios, such as changing the music around children or parents to be more appropriate, that are acceptable practices of code-switching, while there are other scenarios that just prove to be insensitive to other cultures.

According to Grabosky’s the presentation, 48% of black college graduates and 42% of Hispanic college graduates feel the need to code-switch. Only 34% of white college graduates feel the need to code-switch, showing the clear distinction between the way different races feel they must adjust to fit their surroundings. 

An example of code-switching that was used was that of actor and host of “Access Hollywood,” Mario Lopez. His dialect while on Access Hollywood and in other shows was clearly different than that of his voice in social media food videos, in which he speaks in a more laid back and personable manner while eating Mexican dishes. His videos began going viral, as the public speculated that Lopez was not Mexican and were confused as to why he sounded and acted different in these clips than what they saw on TV. 

Lopez went to social media to clear up the rumors and confirm that he is, in fact Mexican, as his parents are both Mexican immigrants. He was born in Chula Vista, California, which is on the border of Mexico. The speculation surrounding the video added fuel to the fire in the conversation of code-switching, insinuating that Lopez was not being authentic in his television personas and radio show. 

Shippensburg student Tarren Hill says, “Choose your stress: code-switching or being yourself and fighting through it. If you are not surrounding yourself with diversity, you want people to code-switch around you, and you are part of the problem.” 

There is the question of how to even know if people are being genuine when they change aspects of themselves around different audiences and environments. Many marginalized groups and individuals face mental conflicts when it comes code-switching, as they feel they must change themselves to avoid stereotypes and judgement, which can lead to confusion and frustration with one’s personal identity. 

Other negative effects of code-switching can be burnout or feeling detached from one’s culture. This is especially dangerous, as these feelings can be the root of mental health issues like depression, anxiety and PTSD. 

“Sometimes others try to dictate who they think you should be,” Grabosky said. “In the United States, some of the social identities are race, gender, social-economic class, sexual orientation and more.”

Code-switching is something that everyone does at some point. It is something everyone should be more aware of, as some of the ways in which it is used in society can be detrimental. 

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