What is a language? It is the way we communicate with each other and is another way to identify each other. When we speak a language, other people will question our background and where we come from. There are many authors who have done research and discuss the ways languages create and identify groups by inclusion and exclusion. I have observed this in my life because of my heritage and the languages I speak, which are English and Spanish. I will use Gloria Anzaldua’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” from Borderlands/La Frontera as I can relate to her story because I am also of Mexican heritage and the languages spoken. If someone were to be born of the same heritage, it is expected that you learn the Spanish language and speak to be able to communicate with family members or others who can speak only Spanish.
My experience with the languages has been different to that of Anzaldua because I started speaking English and have always read, written, and listened in the same language. I do not think I ever took a class or learned any other languages in school. I started to learn how to speak Spanish at home because of my mother. At home, I speak only Spanish with my mother as she cannot communicate in English. My Spanish is not great so I try my best to communicate with her so she can understand me. My family, like Anzaldua’s mother, told her that “I want you to speak English. Pa’ hallar buen trabajo tienes que saber hablar el Ingles bien. Que vale todo tu educación si todavía hablas ingles con un ‘accent’” (Anzaldúa,.34.) My family believes that by speaking English, one can be successful in the United States because you can speak with many people and can get a job for it. I do not think I experienced Anzaldua’s story of learning to speak English, but my older brother has because English is his second language. My brother and I both can speak English but have different experiences learning the language as English is his second language and for me it is my first.
Growing up, my brother has told me stories of taking ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, being told many times to improve his English by reading and writing in the language and has been made fun of because he had a “Mexican accent”. What makes it interesting is that both of us were born in New York, yet he learns how to speak Spanish first. He started taking ESL classes and was mostly put in Bilingual classes to be able to understand both languages. Those ESL classes did not end for him until he got to high school. After he got to high school, it did not stop there because his English teacher was informed of his ESL experience and was told the same thing to keep improving his English. I remember a story he told me once that he had to make a presentation about his internship to a sophomore class and at the end, his classmate commented how he spoke in a “Mexican accent”. The experience made him feel excluded because he felt uncomfortable speaking the language and receive comments on his speaking. I also feel excluded not because of my English but my Spanish and feel the same as Anzaldua who feels like a “Pocho, cultural traitor” for speaking mostly English and not speaking Spanish well.
When I speak Spanish, I get corrected a lot of times because I cannot be understood and sometimes it makes me feel a bit embarrassed. There are times where I cannot say several words in Spanish that my brother must translate for me. Although I do not speak the language with friends, I still must learn the language to be able to communicate at home. In Anzaldua’s section in the reading “Linguistic Terrorism”, for Chicanas such as herself, are scared because they will be shamed for the way they speak Spanish and get told they are not speaking it right. I agree with Anzaldua’s statement that “repeated attacks on our native tongue diminish our sense of self. The attacks continue throughout our lives” (Anzaldua, 39.) You can say that there are attacks on our heritage because of the language we belong to and feel insulted for trying to speak it or for not speaking it. I agree with Anzaldua that for those who are afraid that others will call them “agringadas” because those who speaking English are unable to speak Chicano Spanish. I feel that it is already happening with people who come from immigrant families in the United States. Spanish speaking households will come to believe that it will be best for their children to grow up learning the English language to avoid being criticize in U.S. society. Anzaldua brings up an important detail that “by the end of this century, English, not Spanish, will be the mother tongue of most Chicanos and Latinos” (Anzaldua, 39.) Chicanos and Latinos will grow to speak English to be able to better communicate and be successful in life but at the same time, will suffer because they feel shamed from coming from a Spanish speaking household.
Language is a powerful tool to communicate with other people that it will lead to inclusion and exclusion. The heritage of one can affect how they will be seen in U.S. society where it is taught that English should be used to communicate everywhere. Anzaldua’s work is a great example to use to explain how those who speak other languages other than English are facing challenges to be accepted by others by learning and speaking English but at the same time, rejected for the same reason by those in our heritage.
Works Cited:
Anzaldua, Gloria. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”. Borderlands/La Frontera (p. 33-45)
