What I Really Learned from Studying Spanish in College
In my two years as a Spanish student, I have learned more about communications, culture, and language than I have in any other course. Not only have I experienced the trials of learning a language, but I have also gained cultural experience in the ways that minorities are treated in American culture, even in my own city. Studying Spanish in the classroom, having Latino mentors, service learning in Latino communities, and consuming Spanish media have all brought me more knowledge than the language itself. Through studying the Spanish language, I have learned the difficulties that minorities, biculturals, and second-language learners face and how I can do my part in easing the hardship.
The most influential part of my experience learning Spanish was experiencing the mental difficulties that come with speaking in a second language. It is terrifying to speak a second language to a native speaker, even in a situation when one might feel confident with their knowledge of the language. Something that a Supplemental Instructor (SI) Ana advised was to listen to Spanish music and watch Spanish television. One song in particular that helped increase my confidence speaking and singing Spanish was “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J. Balvin. The song was my favorite for quite a long time because I loved the sound and rhythm. The Spanish rap lyrics helped me understand how Spanish is spoken by native speakers my age and having that knowledge gave me confidence in my own speaking.
Beyond the difficulties of learning and speaking a second language, there are a surprising amount of difficulties being bilingual and bicultural as well. I first became aware of how growing up in two separate cultures at once can tug at one's identity. I interviewed my SI leader Ana in 2018 about her experience being bicultural; her family is from Mexico and but she grew up in America. She speaks almost perfect English and Spanish, and while she saw this as a blessing, it also created internal conflict about her personal and cultural identities. Existing in two cultures can be especially difficult when there are social systems in place to discredit one’s culture of origin.
There was another media source that influenced my understanding of how hard it is to be a second-language learner, but it dealt with a challenge that I have never faced: being a Spanish-speaking immigrant in America. Bajo la Misma Luna is a film about a young woman who immigrates to America in pursuit of a better life for her and her son. After a while, she grows to miss her son, and he does the same, and they both long to be with one another. Her son finds his way to her through dangerous means that could have threatened his life. The film is a wonderful representation of the difficulties that immigrants face, being that it covers the difficulties of being a Spanish-speaker working for English-speakers, having to endure unkind working conditions, consistent threats to one’s own security, and having to be separated from family. Funny enough, I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and have seen firsthand what it is like for many citizens who are immigrants and minorities, so this film worked to remind me, as an adult, of the systems that I have seen in a place that continue to systematically restrict minorities.
In this way, learning Spanish in college uncovered the ways that our social systems work against minorities. I was sickened when I watched the short film Hiyab because of the discrimination that the main character, Fátima, faced. In short, the film is about a young Muslim girl who is a new student at her school. She wants to wear her hijab into class but her teacher insists that she takes it off. This was yet another source that solidified to me that racial and ethnic dynamics allow for minorities to be systematically made powerless. This material altered my perspective of how I should react when I become aware of acts of inequality, as well as the importance of educating others who have not had the same experience learning about language and culture.
Because these systems exist all around us and are easy to overlook, it is important that I take the knowledge that I have acquired by learning a second language and studying other cultures and use it to make the world a better place. When my professor, a Colombian man with a Ph.D., spoke about the hate speech, trouble traveling into the country, and discrimination that he has faced in my country, and sometimes even in my town, it made me feel angry and embarrassed that people would act this way. However, it is not always easy to identify and understand these underlying systems that make the lives of minorities difficult. Therefore, I know that these occurrences are the result of much larger social systems, rather than individual hatred. And these systems are able to be restructured, as long as every person who knows of their existing works to fight against them.
In conclusion, learning Spanish has enlightened me on the many difficulties that come with speaking a second language, being an immigrant, and being a minority. It is difficult enough to overcome the mental barriers that come with learning a second language but to be an immigrant or a minority while also learning a foreign language is one of the most difficult challenges that people can face. There are social structures in place that can be invisible to those who have not learned the harm that these systems can cause. The best way to combat discrimination and ease the hardships that minorities face is to correct the systems and educate others to do the same.
References
[Name to be kept anonymous]. Personal interview. 10 October 2018.
Bajo la Misma Luna. Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007.
Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin. “I Like It.” Invasion of Privacy, Atlantic Records, 2018. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/58q2HKrzhC3ozto2nDdN4z?si=2MbQWi7NSb-mLEEJHeeHYA.
Hiyab. Directed by Xavi Sala, Xavi Sala Camarena, 2005.
