Do I belong?: implications of the ASLPI

The American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) is a widely used assessment tool for academic and professional qualifications in ASL-related fields. In ASL education, most ASL educators are White and able-bodied: this study examines the ASLPI through the lenses of language ideologies, attitudes toward signed languages, and the notion of language boundaries as colonial constructs. Through thematic analysis of interviews with 10 deaf participants, we explored how ASLPI’s design, interaction, and evaluation shaped their experiences. Participants reported discomfort and anxiety tied to racialized interactions with White interviewers, language scrutiny, and pressure to code-switch toward an idealized ASL. They also noted misalignment between their language competency and evaluative outcomes. We call for reforms that promote transparency, invite external review, and affirm diverse deaf languaging practices across race, culture, and disability.