Let's Talk About It
Our Language, Our Heritage, Our Power
By Yvette Tello · Sep 16, 2026
The lack of diversity in education has serious effects on kids, especially people of color. Many Hispanic children grow up feeling ashamed of their heritage, often refusing to speak Spanish because they’ve been taught it’s something to hide. This shame can lead them to loudly declare they don’t understand Spanish, almost as if they’re trying to distance themselves from their roots. For years: speaking Spanish or other languages was seen as bad.
In Texas, it was even illegal to speak Spanish in schools until 1973! . Instead of celebrating bilingualism, which can actually lead to better job opportunities and a richer cultural identity, many were taught to feel embarrassed.. We need to teach kids the value of their heritage and the benefits of being multilingual . We need to help them embrace who they are instead of feeling ashamed. But in order to do that, we need to embrace it.
There is no shame in being brown. Do you agree? Let’s talk about it…
Let's talk about it: what our community said
Printed replies from readers on our page-2 conversation.
“My last name is Torres, I don't speak Spanish. My mother was native German, I was raised around whites. So, I was always treated white, I didn't feel any discrimination growing up. Now my father was in the military, so we were used to all races. This forced tolerance on all. My neighborhood was predominantly military, so there were white, Hispanic and blacks all getting along.”
Raymond Torres
“Born and raised in South Texas, I love the Hispanic culture and the Hispanic people I would live nowhere else. I love the language, the art, the food and everything about it. I have been married to a beautiful talented intelligent Latina for 35 years. One of my daughters was on a volleyball team with older kids. My daughter is a redhead white as a bed sheet but half Latina. A couple of the girls were talking about her repeatedly in front of her. She finally had to inform them that she was completely understanding them. My daughter is fluent in Spanish, reading, writing, and speaking.”
Tracy Bogert
“The Greatest Generation helped change that fear. We, the ‘young warriors,’ distinguished ourselves during World War II, serving with courage and becoming some of the most highly decorated Americans of our time. That experience changed how we saw ourselves and reminded us of who we truly were and always had been: American heroes. When Mexican American veterans returned home from the war, they began demanding accountability, equality, and respect in the country they had fought to defend. Their courage and determination helped change America. Today, we the people of the United States face another challenge here at home. Let the word go out: together, we can move forward, strengthen our democracy, and continue the work of those who came before us. Register every eligible voter. Show up. Participate. Vote for your country and for the future generations who will inherit it. Remember the words: ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ We answered that call before. Let’s answer it again and keep answering it for generations to come.”
Roman Peña
“I came to the United States from Mexico in 1971, when I was 11 years old. At the time, none of my teachers were Hispanic, and as a child, I didn’t always understand why one teacher in particular seemed not to like me. I was ahead in math, and she didn’t seem too pleased about it. Before long, several students were copying my work, and I ended up making a lot of friends because of it! Looking back, I can laugh about it now.”
Sonya De La Garza-Walker
“I recall getting sent to the Principal's office repeatedly because I would not allow myself to be paddled for speaking Spanish in class. Having grown adults hitting children on the rear with a wooden board was sadistic. And I never allowed it to happen to me.”
Mike Gonzalez
“I only spoke Spanish until I was six years old. When I started kindergarten, neither of my teachers spoke Spanish, and one of them was openly prejudiced toward me. I was placed in Special Education even though the real issue was that English was not my first language. I am a first-generation American, and today I can read, write, translate, and fully appreciate Spanish as my first language. My mother came to this country alone at just 13 years old. Her sacrifice makes me incredibly proud. What many of us experienced in the 1970s and ’80s became lessons that helped us become stronger and prepared us to create something better for the next generation. Racism still exists, but some of the most painful discrimination I have experienced has come from within our own community because I married outside my race. That one stings. Eventually, I decided to stay in my own lane and stop trying to please anyone but God. I pursued an education in technology and became a software engineer at a time when Mexican American women were rarely even considered for those opportunities. It was a male-dominated industry, but I accepted the challenge, overcame the obstacles, and took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. We can sit and wait for others to approve of who we are, or we can take the bull by the horns. I prefer the latter.”
Veronica Amaro
“I wasn’t born Mexican by choice,I got lucky! Brown and proud. I love all your posts, ma.”
Linda Gaitan Estrada
“You should see what it feels like to have a white-sounding name while growing up in a Mexican community and living fully within the culture, even though your blood runs brown. It can be difficult when your own people judge you because of your name. I was raised by my abuelita in a predominantly Mexican community and immersed in the culture, but sometimes none of that seems to matter. People see my name first and make assumptions about who I am. It has been painful at times to feel ostracized by my own community, especially within the art community. Discrimination can take many forms, and sometimes the rejection that hurts the most comes from the people you thought would understand you best.”
Jeff Hull