Speak Spanish in public with pride — don't let anyone silence you
Excerpt: The Orlando Sentinel
Jennifer Acosta, 22, graduated from Duke University magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She was 1 year old when she came to the U.S.
I spent half of my life growing up in a predominantly Latino urban area of New Jersey. The other half, I lived in a predominantly white rural town in Central Florida. Existing in both of these spaces has taught me two things:
• I am “not Latina enough” — whatever that means.
• I am “too Latina” — again, whatever that means.
One thing’s for sure, though: I am a native Spanish speaker. In the era of Donald Trump, however, speaking Spanish may become more difficult, if not dangerous.
I just graduated as a psychology and global cultural studies student at Duke University. At Duke, I spent a lot of time thinking about identity and culture, thinking about what it means to belong to a particular group, what it means to be “Latino."
Some might argue, for example, that speaking Spanish is a necessary component of being Latina. I disagree.
At the same time, however, I worry that my little sister (who is now 8) won’t learn Spanish. Not because I’m afraid it’ll mean she’s less Latina, but because of the shame she has learned to connect to her native tongue.
When people glare at me for speaking Spanish in public, refer to it as a “dirty” language, tell me to “go back to your country” or say, “Speak English. You’re in America!” — is it any wonder that some Latinas/Latinos begin to feel ashamed about their language and/or cultural/ethnic identity?
[That's the point:] They want to make us feel ashamed about who we are.
As anti-immigrant sentiments grow more vocal, I worry about the shame other Latina/Latino children will feel about their identity and language. For a developing child like my sister, this shame could mean resisting to learn their home language, whether it be Spanish or another non-English language.
What can be done? It’s become evident to me that, in America, simply being [Latino, an immigrant,] can be a form of resistance. Choosing to speak Spanish in public has become an act of [power] now more than ever.
I’m choosing to resist being silenced. I urge other non-English speakers to do the same. Don’t let anyone erase you or your beautiful languages.