On Speaking Spanish – Latino in America, by Soledad O’Brien #1
Every now and then I see a bumper sticker that reads “Welcome to America, now speak English!” It bugs me whenever I see this, and I try not to think less of the driver, because I know it’s just politics. Spanish-speaking immigrants adopt English, on average at the same level as immigrants have historically done, with their native tongue lost in a generation or two (I study Mexican immigration, so I will give you a reference for this when I find a fresh one in my readings).
The trouble with (and for) Spanish-speaking immigrants is that they are our current feared/despised immigrant. If you look back, you will find that others (Irish, Chinese, the list goes on…) have been the “bad” immigrant at different times in U.S. history. We have changed the laws to make it difficult for others to come here too, as we are now attempting to do with Mexican immigrants. At one time, we had laws on the books to make it easy for Mexican citizens to work here, and we invited them to do so (for example, through the Bracero Program) – now we need a scapegoat for economic troubles (as we have in the past) and currently it’s easy to point the finger at undocumented workers, even though we have welcomed them here at other times in our history, and relied upon their labor.
Even people who are otherwise intelligent often equate Mexican (and possibly anyone from a Latin American country) immigrants as illegal immigrants, not even bothering to find out the history of the people in question. And you know how this country feels about illegal immigrants. Danger! Danger! They will take our jobs! They will ruin life as we know it! Enough has been written on this that I won’t belabor the point – I will just say that we are pointing our fears and distrust in the wrong direction. (And, of course, especially because I read many books on the subject, you will eventually hear me hold forth about Mexican immigration more than you will probably want to.)
So, about the book (and I have only read Chapter 1 so far): In part, it is a companion volume to the CNN documentary bearing the same name. Soledad O’Brien, who reported in this television special, includes more in-depth information about the her own story, as well as more details about the people and places included (and left out of) the telecast. O’Brien, born of a Cuban mother (half black, half white) and an Irish father, does not speak Spanish. She is just one of many examples of people with Spanish-speaking ancestors who have lost their native tongue. I am another one, although I have taken Spanish classes in school (as do O’Brien’s children). O’Brien’s mother immigrated from Cuba. My parents were born in the U.S., as were their parents. On my mom’s side of the family, most of our ancestors lived in the U.S. since before it was the U.S. – the border crossed us, and not the other way around. Some of my father’s grandparents had to take a boat to get here. We all arrived here through so many different avenues, that it seems almost wrong to put us all in the same category, but if we have to share a singular category, I guess “Latino” is the best term for us.
O’Brien, who obviously interviewed Spanish speakers for this piece and had to defend her own lack of Spanish skill in the process, points out that, regardless of language ability, Latino/as always recognize shared blood. Regardless of country of origin, she says we “have a deeply vested interest in being many.” The more numbers we have, the better represented we can be in government and elsewhere.
Back to my experience with speaking Spanish – growing up, I felt bad that I didn’t speak the language, particularly because I grew up in San Diego and look as though I should be fluent. People (of various ethnicities) often criticized me for not speaking “my language.” When I would try to say that English is MY language, and that it’s the one my parents and grandparents speak, some people would accuse me of trying to be something I’m not, some would not believe me, and others would demand that I remedy the situation. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. It made me sad and uncomfortable to be criticized for being myself, and it probably made it harder for me to learn to speak “my” language, because of all the years of defending my inability.
So, to those with bumper stickers about speaking English – mind your own business and stop getting your information from politicians! Spanish-speaking immigrants will work out their language in their own time, just as your foreign-speaking ancestors likely once did. Then their children or grandchildren may have to defend themselves for speaking only English. If this sounds ridiculous, it is.
Other posts about Latino in America:
Post 1: On Speaking Spanish
Post 2: No One is Illegal
Post 3: Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens
Post 4: Hate Crime Victims and Child Laborers
[...] posts about Latino in America: Post 1: On Speaking Spanish Post 2: No One is Illegal Post 3: Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens Post 4: Hate Crime Victims and [...]
[...] posts about Latino in America: Post 1: On Speaking Spanish Post 2: No One is Illegal Post 3: Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens Post 4: Hate Crime Victims and [...]
[...] me that sometimes they act like that in their own country, too. This brings us back to those bumper stickers welcoming people to “America” and telling them, “Now Speak English!” It is [...]