In
English
Recently, my cousin posted a Facebook link to the 1940 U.S. Census report, featuring our grandparents and parents then living in Puerto Rico. The response from the generation which followed them was remarkable because of the language in which each person chose to comment.
The thread started in Spanish. That cousin grew up in the Dominican Republic. I responded in Spanish. In my childhood, that was the only language we spoke at home, though we lived near Chicago.
Then, another of my cousins responded in English, noting that she could read and understand everything written in Spanish, but she felt most comfortable writing in English.
The thread became only English for a while. Then the original commenter said her situation was exactly the reverse. She could understand everything written in English, but felt most comfortable writing in Spanish.
From that point forward, the thread went back and forth between Spanish and English. I wrote in both languages, depending on which seemed best for expressing what I wanted to say.
In so doing, I represent another variant, someone with a large facility in both languages. I did not speak English until I attended primary school. From that moment on, I lived parallel lives in which, at home and in church, I only spoke Spanish; at school, only English. All of my formal education was conducted in English.
At home, however, I was receiving another education, which despite being less formal was equally intensive. I was involved in classes dedicated to biblical study. I also participated in daily religious services. In addition, my father, who was a poet and a minister, maintained a library containing Hispanic literature, works that my classes in English largely ignored.
Recently, my cousin posted a Facebook link to the 1940 U.S. Census report, featuring our grandparents and parents then living in Puerto Rico. The response from the generation which followed them was remarkable because of the language in which each person chose to comment.
The thread started in Spanish. That cousin grew up in the Dominican Republic. I responded in Spanish. In my childhood, that was the only language we spoke at home, though we lived near Chicago.
Then, another of my cousins responded in English, noting that she could read and understand everything written in Spanish, but she felt most comfortable writing in English.
The thread became only English for a while. Then the original commenter said her situation was exactly the reverse. She could understand everything written in English, but felt most comfortable writing in Spanish.
From that point forward, the thread went back and forth between Spanish and English. I wrote in both languages, depending on which seemed best for expressing what I wanted to say.
In so doing, I represent another variant, someone with a large facility in both languages. I did not speak English until I attended primary school. From that moment on, I lived parallel lives in which, at home and in church, I only spoke Spanish; at school, only English. All of my formal education was conducted in English.
At home, however, I was receiving another education, which despite being less formal was equally intensive. I was involved in classes dedicated to biblical study. I also participated in daily religious services. In addition, my father, who was a poet and a minister, maintained a library containing Hispanic literature, works that my classes in English largely ignored.
Despite this rich orientation in both languages, however, I
have to admit that, due to my residence in the United States, English is the
language in which I feel more capable and comfortable.
In our Facebook discussion, not all of my cousins shared my ease with both languages. Nevertheless, regardless of the language used, we all understood each other. The connection felt real.
Is this flexible language capability representative only of a transitional generation among Latinos living in the US? Will the next generation use and understand only one language? What will that mean culturally for Latinos? How will our literature, our politics, our view of the world be affected?
No sé, and I don’t know.
In our Facebook discussion, not all of my cousins shared my ease with both languages. Nevertheless, regardless of the language used, we all understood each other. The connection felt real.
Is this flexible language capability representative only of a transitional generation among Latinos living in the US? Will the next generation use and understand only one language? What will that mean culturally for Latinos? How will our literature, our politics, our view of the world be affected?
No sé, and I don’t know.
***
En Español
Recientemente, mi prima publicó un link en Facebook, un enlace con el censo del 1940, en el cual figuraban nuestros abuelos y tíos. Las respuestas de la generación siguiente fueron notables por el idioma en el que cada persona decidió comentar.
Recientemente, mi prima publicó un link en Facebook, un enlace con el censo del 1940, en el cual figuraban nuestros abuelos y tíos. Las respuestas de la generación siguiente fueron notables por el idioma en el que cada persona decidió comentar.
El hilo de la conversación comenzó en
español. Esa prima se crió en la República Dominicana. Yo respondí en
español. En mi niñez, era el único idioma que hablábamos en casa, a pesar de
que vivíamos cerca de Chicago.
Luego, otra de mis primas respondió en
inglés, explicando que podía leer y comprender todo lo escrito
en español, pero que se sentía más cómoda escribiendo en inglés.
Seguimos en inglés por un rato. Entonces, la
comentarista original dijo que su situación era exactamente la contraria.
Podía entender todo lo escrito en inglés, pero se sentía más cómoda escribiendo
en español.
De ahí en adelante, le dimos ida y vuelta entre
el español y el inglés. Yo escribí en ambos idiomas, dependiendo de cuál me
parecía mejor para expresar lo que quería decir.
Al hacerlo, yo represento a otra variante,
alguien con una amplia facilidad en los dos idiomas. No hablé inglés hasta que asistí a la escuela primaria. A partir de
ese momento, viví vidas paralelas en las que, en casa, sólo hablaba español; en la
escuela, sólo inglés.
En casa, sin embargo, estaba recibiendo
otra educación, que a pesar de ser menos formal era igualmente intensa. Estaba
involucrada en clases dedicadas al estudio bíblico. También, participaba en
servicios religiosos diarios. Además, mi padre, que era poeta y ministro,
mantenía una biblioteca que contenía literatura hispánica, obras que mis clases
en inglés en gran parte ignoraban.
No obstante esa rica orientación en ambos
idiomas, tengo que admitir que, debido a mi estadía en los Estados Unidos,
el inglés es el idioma en el que me siento más capaz y cómoda.
En nuestra discusión de Facebook, no todos
mis primos compartieron mi facilidad con ambos idiomas. Sin embargo, todos
nos entendíamos, independientemente del idioma utilizado. La conexión fue
real.
¿Será esta flexibilidad con el lenguaje
únicamente representante de una generación de transición para aquellos latinos que viven en los Estados Unidos? ¿Se encontrará limitada la próxima
generación al uso y a la comprensión de un solo idioma? ¿Qué significará
esto culturalmente para los Latinos? ¿Cómo se verá afectada nuestra literatura,
nuestra política, nuestra visión del mundo?
I don’t
know y no sé.
Posts
4 comments:
I often think that total immersion is the only way to know a language. If we 'think' in a particular language, the words flow; otherwise, we're merely translating. My ancestors spoke Gaelic, but now that language is nearly extinct. On one of my trips to the Emerald Isle, I met a branch of my family who still spoke the language at home. I'm too old now, but I wish I had learned it earlier. I studied French in school, but without someone to share it, I hardly ever speak it.
Muff, total immersion is exactly what I had. It just happened to be in two different languages simultaneously. Hmm, I wonder what the impact of that could be? For starters, it challenges a singular view of the world. And, that has been both a blessing and a challenge. One can at once be at home anywhere and nowhere.
I often hear people switching between 2 languages and often wondered why. Now you have explained it - certain languages are better for expressing certain things. How interesting.
Jenny, that's why I called it speaking bilingual, because it is almost like speaking a third language. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
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