Safwat Saleem: Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent
صفوت سلیم: من همچنان حرف میزنم حتی وقتی دیگران لهجهام را مسخره میکنند
Safwat Saleem uses satire and art to bring to light stories of adversity. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
eye contact with anyone.
عاجز از پاسخ دادن.
in the room begin to turn toward me
سمت من میگردند
"Have you forgotten your name?"
«اسمت یادت رفته؟»
I want to respond, but I don't.
میخواهم پاسخ بدم اما نمیدم.
خندهدارند.
for all kinds of characters.
همه جور شخصیتی بذارم.
سلام.
is Frankenstein's monster.
هیولای فرانکنشتاین
(SS's voice): (Grunts)
a lot for that one.
I made this educational video
یه ویدئوی آموزشی ساختم
the voice of Space Invader.
مهاجم فضایی رو اجرا کنم.
منتشر شد،
hitting "refresh,"
بارگزاری میکردم،
واکنش مردم رو ببینم.
I look forward to the next one.
منتظر بعدی هستم.
of a two-part video.
دو قسمتی بود.
دوم کار میکردم.
on the second one next.
WHEREEEEE? I need it NOWWWWW!: P
کجااااا؟ من الان میخوامش!
were saying nice things about me,
is annoying. No offense.
پر باشه دوباره بسازیش؟
without peanut butter in your mouth?
is somewhat constructive. Hit "refresh."
بارگزاری.
this narrator again
استفاده نکنین
because of the Indian accent.
نفهمیدم چی میگه.
have a Pakistani accent.
on the second part of the video.
قسمت دوم ویدئو کردم.
back to my childhood,
as I can remember.
when he had a question --
بلد بودم
so I would not have to answer it.
قرار نباشه جواب بدم.
would say I'm not around.
والدینام میگفتن خونه نیستم.
and there was usually someone who'd go,
و معمولاً یه نفر بود که بگه
feeling that if I spoke,
اگر حرف بزنم،
that there was something wrong with me,
be able to use my voice in my work
صدای خودم استفاده کردم
each sentence many, many times,
چندین و چندبار میگم،
where I think I suck the least.
انتخاب میکنم.
is like Photoshop for your voice.
صداتون رو فتوشاپ کنید.
make it deeper, add an echo.
اکو روش بگذارم.
and if I stutter along the way,
و اگر تته پته کنم،
voice in my work
توی کارهام
to finally sound normal to myself.
صدام به نظر خودم عادی بشه.
using my voice in my work.
استفاده نکردم.
about what it means to be normal.
عادی بودن فکر کردم
with expectations.
very few colors in his writing.
اندکی اشاره میکنه
از اونا داره.
is described as wine red,
تشبیه میکنه
and sheep are purple.
و گوسفندها ارغوانی.
of the ancient literature --
اندکی اشاره میکنند.
for why that might be the case
to recognize a color
شناسایی میکردن
to make that color.
یه رنگ رو بسازید
اون رنگ رو ببینید.
for many cultures to make --
به راحتی آن را میساختند
fairly early on.
which was much harder to make --
خیلی سختتر بود
how to make that color
چطور اون رنگ رو
until much later as well.
اون رنگ رو دیدند.
a color might be all around them,
دوروبرشون بود
the ability to see it.
عادی میپنداشتند نبود.
put my own experience into context.
شرایط خودم رو درک کنم.
the comments on the video,
all very personally.
همهش رو به خودم بگیرم.
خجالت میکشیدم.
for a narrator to have an accent.
لهجه داشته باشه
more spelling errors in your writing
ویراستارها غلط املایی بیشتری
to help female or minority students.
دانشجویان خانم یا در اقلیتها ندارن.
اسم سفدپوستها باشه
with white-sounding names
with black-sounding names.
دارند بیشتر قبول میشن.
of what is normal.
املایی داشته باشه.
does not succeed.
نتونه موفق باشه.
is a better hire than a black employee.
سیاهپوست باشه.
that discrimination of this kind,
تبعیضهای این چنینی
to help people that you can relate to
به افرادی است که با آنها پیوند دارید
that you can't relate to.
پیوند ندارید آسیب بزنید.
starts at a very early age.
کودکی آغاز میشود.
درون کتابهای کودکان را
collection every year,
only about 11 percent of the books
۱۱٪ شخصیتها
that number was about eight percent,
حدود ۸٪ بود،
today come from a minority background.
پسزمینهی اقلیتی دارند.
that they can be anything,
هرچه میخواهند باشند
بکنند،
that children of color consume
کودکان رنگینپوست میخوانند
خودشان نیستند.
don't get to realize
they are similar to minorities --
(خوراک نخود-ارده)
for Ancient Greeks,
یونانیان باستان،
of what we consider normal,
عادی میپنداریم نیستند،
of what we've been exposed to,
از آنچه ما به آن عادت کردهایم،
get a bit difficult.
دشوار میشوند.
of normal -- that normal is good,
را قبول کنم -- که عادی بودن خوب است،
narrow definition of normal is bad.
کوچک عادی بودن باشد بد است.
that preexisting notion of normal
را به چالش بکشم
و ترجیح میدم توی دستشویی باشم.
and would rather be in the bathroom.
دوباره من سعی دارم کمکم از صدای خود
I'm now slowly starting to use my voice
people say that I talk
وقتی حرف میزنم
butter in my mouth.
تو دهنم دارم.
a much better understanding
من الان درک بهتری از
one day and realize
و بدونن
to realize what we had been ignoring
که بفهمن چه چیزی را این همه مدت
our notion of normal,
از عادی بودن به چالش میکشیم،
to allow us as a society
به عنوان یک جامعه امکان میدهد
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
تشکر تشکر تشکر.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Safwat Saleem - Artist, graphic designer, filmmakerSafwat Saleem uses satire and art to bring to light stories of adversity.
Why you should listen
Safwat Saleem is a Pakistani-American visual artist, graphic designer and filmmaker. He's best known for making politically-charged satirical art. Safwat's artwork has used a variety of media, including illustration, writing, animation, audio, film and sculpture. He often combines several media to create multimedia storytelling experiences that get his audiences talking -- and laughing -- about subjects that tend to otherwise make people feel uncomfortable. Saleem is also the founder of Bandbaja, a Pakistani music magazine that promoted the use of modern popular music as a socio-political tool.
Saleem has a penchant for doing voiceovers in his films for all kinds of silly characters like a bear, sheep, greeting card and a whale to name a few. His work is shown regularly in galleries around the U.S. and has been featured in publications such as Wired, BoingBoing and Brainpickings. Safwat is a TED Senior Fellow and he likes pizza (like, a lot).
Safwat Saleem | Speaker | TED.com