Recently someone I respect a great deal cautioned me against speaking Spanish in public because the world is so divisive and some are out to hurt those who are different than they are.
This actually made me upset because both of us are Latinos who look more white than brown, and our language identities are very much a part of our cultural identities. I sat there puzzled about why such a need was necessary or how it was prompted. When people have heard me speaking Spanish in public, especially to my sons, I've only been met with interest in what language I was speaking plus praise for teaching my children another language from a young age. And this person continued to talk about the caravan of migrants marching towards the United States fleeing from the violence in their home countries as they plan to ask for asylum at the border. This person said that they should follow the proper channels for legal immigration, even though I mentioned that asking for asylum at the border is a form of legal immigration.
I didn't say much else, but I thought of my own students who look different, come from different socioeconomic statuses, and speak different languages. How many of them have the privilege of codeswitching so quickly in public or hiding their cultural identity behind the way they look? As a Spanish teacher, we even have a part of our curriculum that includes cultural pieces to teach our students about other cultures.
I see engaging our students in discussions of how others look, sound, and act is an important part of my teaching and an important part of my students' education as they prepare to leave school.
I can do better. We can do better.
This actually made me upset because both of us are Latinos who look more white than brown, and our language identities are very much a part of our cultural identities. I sat there puzzled about why such a need was necessary or how it was prompted. When people have heard me speaking Spanish in public, especially to my sons, I've only been met with interest in what language I was speaking plus praise for teaching my children another language from a young age. And this person continued to talk about the caravan of migrants marching towards the United States fleeing from the violence in their home countries as they plan to ask for asylum at the border. This person said that they should follow the proper channels for legal immigration, even though I mentioned that asking for asylum at the border is a form of legal immigration.
I didn't say much else, but I thought of my own students who look different, come from different socioeconomic statuses, and speak different languages. How many of them have the privilege of codeswitching so quickly in public or hiding their cultural identity behind the way they look? As a Spanish teacher, we even have a part of our curriculum that includes cultural pieces to teach our students about other cultures.
I see engaging our students in discussions of how others look, sound, and act is an important part of my teaching and an important part of my students' education as they prepare to leave school.
I can do better. We can do better.