“The animal rights movement has come under regular criticism for being
‘Eurocentric’ and failing to adequately attend to cultural differences.
Nguyen provides insights for moving beyond this, often unwitting,
chauvinism. From her distinct multi-linguistic experiences growing up in
Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, Nguyen insightfully explores the way language
works to continually marginalize other-than-human animals. She calls for
critical engagement with the words we use to refer to ourselves and other
animals in our work to achieve both linguistic and embodied justice.”
~ Lori Gruen, author, Entangled Empathy
This is a remarkably assured debut from a young writer who has enormous
promise. It's a well-conceived and thoughtful analysis of how we use
language, particularly in describing or coopting or (de)limiting
other-than-human animals. Hanh's grasp of the suppleness of language is
astonishing, especially as English is not her first language, and her
insights gather depth as the book progresses. A worthy successor to Joan
Dunayer's ANIMAL EQUALITY, TONGUE-TIED is an excellent introduction to how
language shapes and distorts our perceptions.
~ Martin Rowe,
Cuture & Animals Foundation
Hanh Nguyen holds a BA in Sociology from Yale University. Her journey in rethinking human–other animal relationships began when she was an undergraduate, and has since taken her to dozens of colleges and universities across North America, helping thousands of students examine their own perceptions of other-than-human animals.
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