1973, Not That Long Ago

Let's talk about it: what our community said

Printed replies from readers on our page-2 conversation.

• “Technically speaking Spanish was not our native language. The only reason we know Spanish is because of the conquistadores. You know the colonization and Spanish conquest by Hernan Cortes in like 1519. Correct me if I’m wrong”

  Michael Betancourt

• “My husband, a Texan, was slapped in the face by his Kindergarten teacher for speaking Spanish. He grew up and became a Spanish teacher at South High School in Omaha, NE “”

  Lela Remijio

• “Born and raised in Texas and yes, I was paddled several times for speaking Spanish. All my siblings still speak Spanish to this day. They couldn't make us stop speaking Spanish completely. Proud of my culture, mi raza y mi familia.”

  Lucy Cisneros

• “When my teacher told me not speak Spanish, I did anyway”

  Gilbert Rosales

• “This was tried in Puerto Rico in the 1920s but failed.”

  Daniel Zendelem

• “Texas has come a long way, right, ...?”

  Lonny Cantu

• “I grew up in California, and I’m very blessed I grew up in a bilingual household. I'm fluent in Spanish. I am making sure I’m passing that down to my only child.”

  Erika Stachura

• “Yep, we only spoke Spanish at home. If it wasn’t t for Grandma, I would have been a no sabo tejano. Gracias a mi Abuela, nunca olvidaré que la Frontera se movió no nuestra familia, nuestra raíz es más vieja que 250 años Richard Grijalva; “Since there are many American Mexicans and immigrant Mexicans, I feel it would be a benefit for kids to learn to speak Spanish. Our work industry could use more bilingual speaking workers. Richard Aguilera; “That's why our parents didn't teach us Spanish”

  Eddie Alvarado

• “This happened in Colorado too. My generation wasn't taught. My parents spoke English in our home unless they didn't want us to know what they were saying. Spanish was spoken at grandparents' places. Fabby Romero; “When you are bilingual you are worth two persons. When you are trilingual you are worth three. Etc. When you are monolingual you’re only worth one.You choose.”

  Denise Sisneros

• “Louisiana did the same for the French.”

  Gilles Cecile ArseneaultChevrier

• “Oh that is so true we couldn't speak Spanish but I wasn't ashamed cause I speak Tex-Mex I'm from South Texas”

  Sofie Nieto

• “I used to get paddled in El Paso!”

  Edward Lallow Pena Jr.

• “My parents spoke Spanish to each other, but not to us because they were paddled as kids for speaking Spanish. As I grew older and wiser , I discovered that the system was built to squash our heritage. We will not be erased. We are the Heart and Soul of America!”

  Gilbert Tellez

• “My US citizen mom of Mexican descent stood her ground! At home we spoke Spanish! She would say, English in school, en mi casa se habla Español! I was more scared of mom than any gringo or pocho teacher for sure! Gracias mami!!”

  Maribel Martinez

• “My father went through all this hate back in the late 30's & early 40's and because of the crap he went through, he decided not to speak to us in Spanish! I was never able to communicate with my grandparents who spoke only Spanish!”

  Jana Martinez

• “That was true. Thank God my smart parents instead of being bilingual. All four kids learned to speak and wrote in Spanish at home. In school, we learned and read English. We succeeded thanks to our smart and loving parents. Gracias mama y papa por la escuela en casa. (Home schooled)”

  Yolanda Tovar-Valenzuela

• “Not only Texas, I went to school in New Mexico and would get paddled for speaking Spanish. My mom would teach me to read and write in Spanish at home but she spoke English perfectly!”

  Alfredo Sanchez

• “It wasn't Spanish!! It was the native language Diana Guajardo; I was spanked for speaking Spanish, and so I was very quiet until I learned English.”

  Daniel Martinez

• “Yes, I got spanked even though my family spoke English. My family, especially the elders, spoke a dialect of Apache mixed with Spanish and that's what I got spanked for.”

  PK Carvajal

• “Fun fact, in the first and second grade, the teachers had me sign my paperwork under JOHN because they couldn't pronounce Juan , in Junior High some of my teachers couldn't pronounce DURAN and would call me DURANT OR DURHAM I went to school from 1968 to 1981 , and surprise surprise, when I started school black kids were allowed in formal all white schools, ...1969 every single first grader who was black or Latino was held back myself included. we did in fact get swats or get suspended for speaking Spanish. I was John until 1975 when we moved to South Texas (the valley) then I was allowed to use my real name,by the mid-80s, I revised John because there were three other Juan's on my job and the manager would get frustrated.. so jokingly I said to him " OH HELL MR DUBOSE JUST CALL ME JOHN!" and that shit stuck. Then came social media, back in 1975 I was BIGJOHN on the CB radio, Big John is what my coach used to call me so in the 90s that became John 3:16 on AOL, then on MSN Hispanic Americans,now on Tik Tok LoL hahaha and Facebook since so many people know me as John”

  John Duran

• “Now it makes sense when my teacher in 3rd grade would say “Practice your English’ “”

  Lino Perez

• “I was growing up in 1968. There were no bilingual classes We grew up speaking Spanish 100% at home we never forgot I’m a Medical / legal court interpreter now & proud I owe it to my parents , we were to not speak English but only in school & to comunícate”

  Lali Rey

• “I asked my mother one time why she didn’t teach us and she told me she did not want me to suffer the way she did. I didn’t understand then but I do now (unfortunately)”

  Margaret Diaz Coleman