On of the most embarassing things about being Mexican American is that I don't speak Spanish. Really this is one of the only things that I'm embarassed about; I handle it one of two ways when people ask me about it: I ignore the question or make a smartass comment. The truth is that my parents raised us in a city that didn't embrace being bilingual -my how times have changed- so we were taught English in order to be successful in the place where we lived. I AM successful and so are my brothers. Growing up with a smack across the knuckles from your teacher for speaking Spainsh, my parents could never in a million years have imagined that not speaking Spanish would be such a pain. But it is.
In a city where I think the majortiy is Hispanic (it's hard to tell because in the census my race is white, but ethnicity is Hispanic. So white is the majority, but that includes Hispanics) people assume that my kids and I speak Spanish. Talk about pouring salt on an open wound. But while I'm in a corner licking my wounds my brillient daughter who so desperatly needs to relate to every person she encounters has just closed the gap on her lack of knowledge. If mommy isn't going to teach her spanish, gosh darnit she'll just make it up! Nothing will stop this child from making friends!
When she first starting doing this I would run and hang my head in shame, but I've had a change of heart and now I just stand next to her and smile like I understand everything she's saying and the person she's talking to is nuts for not understanding. **We are currently looking for Mommy and Me Spanish classes.**
4 comments:
Oh my! That was adorable! She is such a little character!
So so so so cute! She is so smart & creative! I love it.
Crisa,
All this time I thought you did speak Spanish! I do feel your pain. I don't speak Spanish either. My parents were born and raised in Kansas and they didn't dare speak Spanish there! So they raised us kids to speak only English. When in Houston, most Hispanic people would just start speaking to me in Spanish, and when I would speak back to them in English they would get so offended that I didn't speak Spanish! Since living here in San Antonio, not once has someone started speaking to me in Spanish or asked me if I speak Spanish. I think it is because most of the Hispanic people here were born here in America and I think a lot of the Hispanic population in Houston are immigrants and their first language is Spanish.
Bella asked me if she could speak Spanish when she grows up, and I said you can speak Spanish now. She does the same thing Allie does she pretends to speak Spanish. It's really cute. But, yes times sure have changed!
That is the cutest thing EVER..
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