Code-Switching Expert George Paasewe Publishes the Second Edition of His Bestselling Book on Code-Switching

MILWAUKEE, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We all code-switch as human beings, and it is something that we do naturally. Consider how you talk and express yourself when around family or friends. More than likely, you communicate and express yourself in an informal way. For instance, you may use jargon, profanity, slang, etc. In contrast, when speaking to a prospective employer during a job interview, when around your colleagues, or even at a fancy restaurant, your speech, appearance, behavior, and expression transition into a more professional, formal, and measured form. Essentially, code-switching entails that we conduct ourselves differently in formal or informal settings.

However, for people of color, code-switching goes far beyond conducting themselves differently when immersed in either formal or informal settings. Code-switching becomes a survival mechanism to avoid racist encounters, prejudice, negative stereotypes, or awkward stares and remarks. For people of color, code-switching can feel like a requirement— but it does not have to be that way, according to researcher and author George Paasewe, who will facilitate a code-switching workshop for students and staff members at Green River College on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Auburn, Washington.

Paasewe`s book, How Black College Students Learn Code-Switching – Second Edition (2022), reveals that racism is the root cause of why people of color feel pressure to code-switch and simultaneously bear the burden of code-switching....