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Published in Language, Linguistics, & Discrimination in Everyday Encounters (Fall 2023), this piece was created after a course load of examining how dialects, tonal patterns, and communication cues are developed, inherited, and influenced by cultural history, social dynamics, and systemic forces like gentrification and assimilation. It explores the role of language as both a marker of identity and a tool of exclusion, highlighting how societal biases shape perceptions of speech. This work underscores the power of language to preserve and navigate the complexities of articulating in changing environments.