Spanish And English speaking In America

In most Hispanic families, they mold us at a very young age to speak Spanish. To not neglect your native language. It is what keeps us together, it is part of the foundation of our identity. Hispanics see both English and Spanish as important. Growing up, in most hispanic families, family is always around. There is not a time when I felt alone or unsupported. That is also another special quality about being hispanic, you are always being praised and motivated. Apoyando (supporting) is just one of the important values of a Hispanic family. Despite that my family is Spanish speaking, it’s those unforgettable Spanish phrases of support that stuck dearly close to my heart and will be passed on to my own family. It’s all about the emotional aspect. Not only do Hispanic families have a strong verbal ways of interactions but also nonverbal such as facial expressions. My Spanish is highly important to me because it is a vital part of maintaining ties with my cultural heritage, and my families back home in Mexico.

My grandmother in particular, who doesn’t speak English, speaks in her mother tongue. Her mother tongue sounds perfect to me. She understands some English, she tells me how she pays attention to how the American people speak. She catches onto some words and phrases. When I am not around as her translator, she faces difficulties such as communicating with English speakers at stores or other places. Some people are generous and take the time to understand her. Other times, people treat her like she is uneducated and don’t bother to try to understand her. She is judged poorly by others because she speaks “broken” English. At times she tells me, “Me pongo triste porque no puedo hablar ingles y no entiendo” and it’s painful to hear these words from her. I always turn to her when I am down.

She reminds me of how privileged I am such as being able to speak English fluently. Being fluent in English is like having a “golden ticket” in America because it opens a world of opportunities and enables you to communicate with a lot more people and strive in the business world. In which is why my parents immigrated here in America. But, speaking more than one language is even better. One of my favorite phrases that my grandma says to me everytime I see her is, “Echale ganas aprovecha tu estudio.” In other words, “Work hard, take advantage of your studies”. I find it more meaningful in Spanish than in English, it sounds more powerful with love. Sometimes she overuses that phrase but I am thankful that she reminds me of what I can achieve and to be something in life with a purpose. If she were to say that to me in English, I would’ve had not taken that to the heart, and I am not sure why. My Grandmother is my motivation, without her, I don’t think I’ll be the person I am today.

In America, it seems like it is required to speak English because it what we commonly hear most but it is not the official language. There are so many phrases or words that we hear a lot on a daily basis. Depending on the way a person says something, it matters how you perceive it. Such as, you decide whether it was out of a good or bad manner. I am bilingual so when I am yelled at in Spanish, it sounds more harsh. I take it more personal than if it was said in English. Personally, it just hits home because I feel stronger emotions through the Spanish language. I am not sure how to explain but I know I am not the only one who thinks this. A Poem that poses a similar idea to my point is, “If What I Mean Is Hummingbird, If What I Mean Is Fall Into My Mouth” by Natalie Diaz. Diaz mentions how the Mojave people speak with their hearts, “..the words we use to describe our emotions are literally dragged through our hearts before we speak them—they begin with prefix wa-, a shortened form of iiwa, our word for heart and chest.”

My mother speaks both English and Spanish fluently so she can choose which one of them to approach me. When we have serious conversations about life, she code switches. We can start off speaking in English then in Spanish when the topic gets “deep”. Whenever my mother caught me in my wrongs, she would call me out on my bullshit. I could never look her in her eyes at times when she yelled at me, “Te lo digo por tu bien” or “I’m telling you for your own good”. My mother always had this stare that would scare me straight, I could read her face expression. Overtime, I realized she was giving me tough love so that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes as she did when she was younger. Mexican mothers speak with their hearts, whether it’s yelling or just a normal conversation.

Similar to Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”, I also grew up in an immigrant family. My father speaks English but sometimes his thick Mexican accent comes out. He confuses himself with English and Spanish, I could tell at times he gets frustrated. I witnessed at first hand my father being look down upon. My father is a dark brown Mexican guy. Some people assume right away that he is poor and uneducated. I remember one time, we were looking for a hotel to stay at, and the lady at the front desk was white. She just stared at us not even with a smile as if she wasn’t interested in speaking to us. My father talked to her nicely with his “broken” English and all I remembered was the dirty look she gave my father. I was 11, I knew what her intentions were. Once my father realized that she was being racist, he said, “Chinga tu madre.”

He didn’t want any problems, so he avoided saying it in English or else the poor white lady would’ve called the cops on him. Instead he said, “Have a nice day, sweetheart” and she just smirked. My dad may not speak English perfectly but that doesn’t mean that he should get treated disrespectfully. No one knows the emotional take it has on you to watch your family being discriminated time and time again. My father came from nothing, he grew up poor, and he gave up his education to work. My father’s sacrifices boosted my studies. I was formed by father’s words, “Quiero que seas algo en la vida. Do you best in school mija.” Broken English, some people call it. But to me, it was just how my Pa(father) spoke. Our, “language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk” (Tan 1). I am grateful for my father’s words, more so, his Spanish ones.

My point is some phrases or words are taken to the heart when it’s said in another language. The French word for love is “amour’’, it sounds pleasant. Love is an overused word, it’s like we force it to mean something. I love you, I love this or that. It sounds too generic, something about those who speak another language dedicate themselves to make sure the other person “feels” their words. I grew up watching the same look on peoples face when my father spoke. They would squint their eyes, look up and down and ignore him as if he wasn’t human. I never understood why some people were afraid to try to understand my Pa. I’ve seen him being taken advantage of because some people confuse him even more out of amusement. I understand him, it’s our language. Language is just as much about value, culture, identity, context, emotion, behavior, and usage. Spanish has always been my “love” language. The language I associate with home, with family, and it is what ties us together.