Has anyone ever made fun of you or shamed you for speaking little or broken Spanish? little or broken English? Let’s talk about it…
Art Escobar: “Actually, when I was younger I was often asked why I didn’t have an accent. I speak both English and Spanish…and know a few choice words in other languages of countries I have visited.”
Benny Serrano: “And many times you don’t even know your own language; You think you do.”
Dyan Baca: “Exactly! Never poke fun at broken English, especially if you only know English and not another language.”
Lupe Lucero: “Means they speak another language and you don’t!”
Ma Elena Garcia Gil: “I always tell that to my “Paisanos”… and then I tell the ones that were laughing… I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOU TRYING TO SPEAK SPANISH.”
Dewitt Smith: “Why make fun of people? We are grown and that’s some first and second grade crap.”
Abel Gonzales: “Absolutely. It is really irritating to know people who have been here for years have made no effort to learn English. I’d rather hear broken English than people use their native language as a crutch. I love Spanish but come on, being bilingual, es como dice el dicho ‘ el que habla dos idiomas vale más que uno’ Échale! I’m also a bilingual/ Spanish teacher! ¡Dejen la vergüenza!”
Baldo Montiel: “I’m 49 years old, both parents are from here and speak fluent English and Spanish. I grew up not speaking Spanish at all but always hearing it at home and from my grandmother’s TV or music (which I didn’t fully understand). I started speaking Spanish little by little at age 30. I work in an industry where it’s all Mexican and they’ve critiqued or made fun of my Spanish all the time. Now, I don’t have to speak Spanish…I started speaking to help them. There are alot like me and to make fun of them ,lots of Mexicans call them the ” no sabe ” this stuff goes both ways…I’ll continue to speak my broken Spanish and help those who appreciate it but I’ll never help anyone who thinks my Spanish is funny sounding.”
Laura Estrada: “English, especially American English, is the hardest language to grasp since it’s a mash-up of various accents. Our vowels vary, spellings are harsh. Making fun of someone who is trying is truly cruel.”
Bessie Lovely Perez: “My Spanish is horrible and I live in Houston. I get treated rudely for not knowing the Spanish. I need more practice but I do speak it when I go into Spanish places like Taquerias, Refresquerias, and Flea Markets! You gotta learn the Spanish down here. I mean dang they play Banda, Cumbias, and Nortenas at the Walgreens and the dollar stores. I love it though.”
Debbie Cortez: “Yes! I hated when people made fun of me when I was trying to learn ESPAÑOL, but I was determined. Grandma would be absolutely proud of me, as I was of her: her being “fluent” BILINGUAL …unknown in those days! Now I know “both”, and am rapidly learning these acentos; spelling. In other words, besides already reading and understanding it, spelling it. AMEN.”
Mike Candelaria: “Amen. I have always had that feeling since I was a little kid. Now in my sixties I try to teach young people that. Not everyone who cannot speak English are stupid. You sometimes find out that a person is very smart and just cannot speak the English language well enough to communicate.”
Ruben Garcia: “True y muchas veces piensas que sabes español. Vienes a vivir a mexico y te das cuenta que no hablas ingles ni español correcto.!!! Estás en estados unidos aprendiendo inglés porque español ya lo sabes y bienes para aca y no sabes tampoco español. Te encuentras con palabras en español que no las sabemos.”
