SharonChen

Mrs.Abbadessa
DualEnrollmentPublicSpeaking
25February2015

SurveysofChinesestudentssincethe1980sreportthatlessthan1%arelefthanded.
Thisisanextraordinarilylownumbergiventhegenerallyacceptedviewthatbetween10and
12%ofhumansarelefthanded.ArethereactuallyveryfewlefthandersinChinaand,ifso,
why?Itisculturallyseenasablemishonapersoniftheyarenotlikethemajority,righthanded.
Smallpercentagesdenotesminority,andaroundtheworld,minoritygroupsareoften
overwhelmedandruledbythemajority,inourcase,rightiesoverlefties.Thefactthatleftiesare
aminoritymakesitseemlikeafaultyattributeandinevitablyleadseveryoneinheretothinkthat
itisandthatitshouldbecorrected.Someofyouhaveencounteredalefthandedchildand
lookedonthemwithdisgust,seeingthattheyused,asinlatincalledthesinisterhand.
However,ifyouweretoldthatyoudidsomethinginaflippedoroppositeway,howwouldyou
feel?Allofushatetobetoldwerewrongdoesntitfrustrateyouwhenyouhavetoconform
towhatsomeoneelseisdoingintherightwayinordertoobtainapproval?Ifnotapproved,
thenyourelabeledassomeoneabnormal.Noonewantsthatandthusweallconformandswitch
thingslikehandednesstoonestandard,righthandedness,inordertoachievewhatwecall
successinasociety.Iamheretotellyouthatwithconformitydoesnotcomesuccess,ratherit
limitsthepotentialofthepersonbeingrestrictedandconfusesthatpersonforlife,inhibiting
themfrombeingsomeonefarmorecapablethantheiroppressedstate.Italsodevelopsinthe

personasenseofisolationandnotbelonging,oftenleadingtosocialandemotionalproblems.
Restrictionandpunishmentofkidswhoarelefthanddominantshouldbediscontinuedfrom
practiceinChineseelementaryschools.

Oursocietyneedstoleavechildrensnaturalpreferenceofhandsaloneinordertoreach
ensuretheyhaveachancetoreachtheirfullpotentialandnotbecrippledorconfinedby
conformity.Leftiesarebeingstrippedoftheirchanceattheirownpotentialbecauseof
conformityandconfinementandthiscausesthemtobeunabletodocertainthingsoreventobe
belowaverageinactivitiesthattheywillbedoingonadailybasisthroughoutlife.Afigurative
exampleofwhatImtalkingaboutcanbefoundinthepoem,AWorkofArtificeinwhich
MargePiercywritesaboutabonsaitreebeinglimitedfromgrowingtoitseightyfoottall
potential,insteadcontainedtoapotandgrowingtoonlyamerenineincheshigh.Simplemotor
controlandevenlanguagespeakingcanbedevastatinglyimpairedwithforciblechangingof
hands.Afellowlefthandermarksherconfusingexperienceofchanginghandswiththecrippling
sideeffectsitbestowedonherMyteacherwantedmetowriterighthanded.Shetapedmypaper
tothedeskandmademewritewithmyrighthand.Ibegantostutterandmyfatherwasonmeall
thetimetostop.Iwasgroundedandhumiliatedbymyfather.Ifinallytoldhimwhattheteacher
wasdoingwithmypapertogetmetowriterighthanded.Myfatherwenttotheschoolandtold
theteachertoleavemealoneandletmewritewiththehandIwantedtowritewith.My
stutteringstopped.
Stutteringisnottheonlyproblemassociatedwithforciblychanginghands,Icantellyou
fromexperience,ithascausedanumberofanxietyandemotionalproblemsformeasachild.

WhileIwenttoschoolinChina,myteacherswouldfrequentmyresidenceatmygrandparents
housetotellthemabouthowIneverlistenandwouldcontinueusingmylefthand.Ofcourse,I
didntcarebackthen,itwasjustalladulttalkanddidnotconcernme.However,my
stubbornnessandselfconfidenceevaporatedafterIwentbacktovisitmygrandparentsandmy
otherrelativesduringthesummeroffreshmanyear.Whiletwentypairsofeyesstaredand
admiredmeforthingssuchasmypetitestature,politeness,andculturaletiquetteinthatsmall
privaterestaurantroomwherethefamilialbanquettookplace,oncethewaiterscameandserved
usourfood,facesofadmirationdroppedtodisappointmentandalleyeswerefixatedonmeyet
again,butthistimeindisgustasIstarteatingwithmylefthand.Onerelativeevenwentsofaras
tosaytomymotherinahalfjokingway,Gee,youdidntraiseherproperly,lookathowshes
usingherlefthandnow!Thistypeofsituationhashappenednotonlyoncetome,andeating
hasbecomeananxietyinducingeventformetoengageinwhenIvisitmyrelatives.Self
consciousnessoverpowersmeinmydepressingstate.Ilookaroundforsolacebutofcoursethere
isnone,allofthemarelaughingitoffandcarryingonhappilyeatingwiththeirrighthands.Not
onepersonintheroomfulloftwentypeoplecouldfeelmyagitation.
Thereisasimplesolutiontothis,donottrytoalterachildsnaturallefthandpreference
whentheyreyoung.Itisimperativetoevolvefromthesetraditionalwaysandculturalmindsetif
wewanttoseefutureleadersofcountry/world,althoughtheyaretraditionalviews,theyshould
beletgoastheycausemoreharmthangood.Wecouldpotentiallybeinhibitingsomeonewho
couldbeinfluentialinthefuturefromblossomingintothefuturesuccessfulhero,itisvery
importanttogetridofthisideaofconformity.Imagineseeingfutureleaderswhocansmileand
saythattheirfamilies,friends,andteacherssupportedthemthroughoutalltheirendeavors.You,

asateacherwouldbepraisedforencouragingthemandnotdetestedforyankingawaytheir
chancesatreachingtheirsuccess.ProfessorHowardKushneratEmoryUniversitytellsusthat,
Themethodsusedtorestrainlefthanderswereoftentorturous,includingrestraininga
resistantchildslefthand,oftenbytyingupthelefthandsothattherighthandmustbeused.
Ifyouwerealefthandedperson,youwouldbethetargetofthiscruelandtortuouspractice.The
horrifyingexperienceofhavingtolivethroughasocietythatcondemnsanddetestsleft
handednesscanfollowoneintoadulthoodandcausemanypsychologicalandemotionalissues
thatyouwouldntwanttoburdenonyouyourentirelife.
Please,donotbotherthemwhentheyreusinglefthandandencouragethesekids
touseeitherhandforwritingactivities.Letthemgofreeandeliminatetherestrictionsand
discouragementsonhowtheyresupposedtodothings,letthemdeveloppreferencenaturallyand
donotinhibittheirnaturalpreferenceintheclassroom,donotdiscouragetheuseoflefthandor
pointitoutandpunishthechildinfrontoftheotherchildren.Anddefinitelydoyourpartin
encouragingthenewcycletogoon.LaurenMilson,cofounderofthewebsiteAnythingleft
handed,saysThereisstillalotofignoranceaboutthisissue.Manyteachersthinkitisenoughto
justtelllefthandedchildrentorestthepaperontheleftofthedeskandgivethemsome
ambidextrousscissors.Inadditiontoprovidingtherightmaterials,youngschoolteachersshould
alsoactivelyencourageuseofbothhandsinclass.Handsonactivitiesandgamessuchaspinthe
wheelonthedonkeyletthekidsusehandoftheirchoice.Thesameappliestoallotheractivities
foundinanelementaryschoolsetting:drawingsandwritingalphabetactivitiesshouldbeheldso
thatkidsareencouragedtoworktogetherandmixwiththerightiestoestablishasenseof
normalcy.Donotcondemnitasasin,embracethediversity.Yourchildren,ifyoudecidetohave

any,mayonedaybelefthandedandyouwillhavetoseethemsufferthroughthepainsofliving
inarighthandedworldalready,soencouragementandunrestraineduseofwhattheyfindnatural
willprovidealleviation.Afterall,everyoneofyouinherewouldwanttoseeyourchildprosper,
eveniftheydofallinthat10%.