Your cart is currently empty!
Lost in Translation: How I Reconnected with My First Language
Updated: Dec. 18, 2015
Originally Published: Oct. 28, 2014
So here I am, sitting in Spanish class every Wednesday night (with my best friend for a little extra nudge), even though Spanish was my first language from the moment I was born. Sure, it’s not your typical beginner’s language course; it’s called “Spanish Film and Conversation,” but still! “Qué pena!” I can almost hear fluent speakers shaking their heads at me. I wish I could blame this on laziness, but for those of us raised in multicultural homes, the struggle to maintain our language often has more to do with the surrounding culture and where we live.
Cultural Climate
Back in the 70s and 80s, speaking anything other than English was seriously frowned upon. I’m not just talking about popularity; it was a matter of survival. My dad often recounted how his immigrant father was punished for speaking Spanish at school, so we grew up in an English-only household. It’s wild to think about how much has changed—Latinos now number close to 60 million in the U.S., and that number is expected to more than double by 2060!
As a kid, we were just a tiny piece of the American pie, overshadowed by waves of Italian and Asian immigrants. Assimilation was the name of the game back then. Nowadays, while many U.S.-born Hispanics predominantly speak English, there’s no denying that embracing Spanish makes you a real part of the American tapestry. It’s a huge advantage in our globalized world—thank goodness for that!
Geographical Changes
My bilingual abilities started to fade away when we moved from our close-knit Hispanic neighborhood in upper Manhattan. Our family lived just a few blocks from each other, and Spanish was always in the air. But when we relocated to New Hampshire, where my four younger sisters were born, things changed dramatically. I joke that our family helped integrate the state, but it was no laughing matter back then. The most common question my brother and I faced wasn’t “Do you speak Spanish?” but rather, “So, do you speak Puerto Rican?” Seriously, people!
Although New Hampshire has evolved over the years, there are still places in the U.S. where speaking Spanish can lead to uncomfortable situations, as my mom discovered during our first grocery trip. And to add to the confusion, I ended up at a Catholic school that only taught French. Imagine my embarrassment trying to switch between languages in my first Spanish class and accidentally saying “gateau” instead of “pastel”! Zut alors!
In my early 20s, I finally got back into the groove when I lived in Santiago, Chile, and Mexico City. I was so proud to chat with my mom in Spanish again when I returned to the States. But after she passed away ten years ago, I unintentionally pushed my first language aside because it brought back too many bittersweet memories—those moments of dancing in the kitchen to salsa, folding laundry while listening to Julio Iglesias, and sharing meals with family.
Today, I have good reasons to focus on improving my Spanish. I like to think that my commitment to relearning it is part of my healing journey. And my daughter? She’s taking Spanish in school now, and surprisingly, she doesn’t mind when I crank up my “Latin Beats” playlist. We just dance together instead!
If you’re interested in home insemination options, check out this insightful blog post on intrauterine insemination for more information. You can also find trusted resources like CryoBaby, who provide quality home insemination kits.
In summary, my journey back to Spanish has been a mix of cultural influences and personal experiences, reminding me of the deep connections language has with identity and family.