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Commentary
COMMENTARY: Counting the blessings of hablar Español Eliezér Valentín-Castañón, Jul 30, 2009
Eliezér Valentín-Castañón
By Eliezér Valentín-Castañón Special Contributor
At a church potluck supper one day I was conversing with a member who happened to be from mi patria (my native land) of Puerto Rico. We were speaking in the language we were most comfortable using, Spanish.
Suddenly, another member walking by slowed down and admonished us: “Talk in English. People might think you’re talking about them.” At the time I thought the sister was just joking, so I smiled at her and continued my conversation. But the friend I was talking to said in Spanish, “We’d better use English because folks here will feel offended by us talking in Spanish.”
I was surprised and could not believe she was serious.
This encounter occurred in 1988. That church is still there, and the congregation that worships in the sanctuary is made up primarily of those same Spanish-speaking people whose cherished language was devalued decades earlier. They worship God freely and fervently in the power and passion of their native tongue.
Why speak Spanish?
Many of you might ask, “Why do Spanish-speaking people speak to one another in their own language when there are non-Spanish speakers present?” You might think it rude, divisive and inhospitable, because other folks might want to join in the conversation but cannot if they don’t understand the language.
For people who live in the margins of society, to use the language they know best with others who can speak that language is a way of feeling empowered, connected and affirmed. When people speak Spanish with one another it is not with a desire to create barriers; rather it is a way to communicate with levels of meaning and emotion that a language foreign to them cannot provide.
Speaking English, even for those who speak it well, may not convey the many nuances of sense and sensibility that are endemic to one’s native tongue.
Language gives meaning to our communal life, and has great value for the human family, whether it is spoken in Spanish, French, English or any other tongue. Like our five senses—touch, smell, sight, taste, hearing—language helps us connect with our memories, especially those aroused by the sound and cadence of our speech.
Like a legacy, language links people both to their heritage and to future generations. Consequently, when people speak their language, it affirms their identity. That is why I speak mostly Spanish to my U.S.-born children and require the same from them.
Assimilation
When people ask speakers of Spanish or any other language to stop using their first tongue and use instead the dominant language, it is not out of a desire for true integration, which by definition brings a mix of diverse people into equal relationships with one another, as one body of many members.
Instead, such a request calls for assimilation, which demands unyielding uniformity. It is like building a monolingual tower of Babel rather than welcoming the multicultural, multilingual Spirit of Pentecost.
Those who wish to welcome immigrants into their churches and communities—especially if the goal is that they become full-fledged members—should not demand English-only, but encourage English-plus.
Those who speak Spanish, for example, must not let go of their language to accommodate the dominant culture and thus devalue their own culture. Instead, they can enrich the dominant culture, as we have already proven with our language and other generous gifts to Northern Americana.
Some people might have a heartfelt desire to promote inclusiveness by encouraging assimilation, but the effect is the exclusion of “the other’s” essential self.
I have heard people say, “Well, if they want to find better jobs and be successful in the United States they need to speak English.” I certainly agree: People who come to the United States should learn to speak English, and in fact, given the opportunity, most people do. But we should not expect them to abandon their native tongues in order to be accepted in our communities.
For bilingual people, suppressing the use of their first language can be difficult. One might switch languages to accentuate key points, or because one is more comfortable explaining certain things in one language over the other. Sometimes switching languages is done unconsciously. People may know enough English to get by in their jobs, but to talk about family and personal matters or other topics, their primary language offers them a much richer vocabulary and provides deeper meaning and emotion.
Already bilingual
Today, a fifth of the U.S. population speaks something other than English as their primary language. In some areas, it is closer to two-fifths.
Spanish is the second-most common language spoken in our country, and is especially prevalent in some 43 states and the District of Columbia. The U.S. has the world’s fifth largest Spanish-speaking population after Mexico, Colombia, Spain and Argentina.
We are already a bilingual nation; if not by decision, then by default.
The suggestion that we Spanish-speakers should learn to speak only English whenever English speakers are present, so that they do not feel left-out or offended, ignores the value that our own language has for us. It also ignores the need and opportunity for English-only speakers to broaden their communication horizons by learning to speak at least some words and phrases in Spanish.
The use of the Spanish language in the United States is one of the blessings that Latinos bring to the church and the nation. Regrettably, when my sister at the potluck supper asked my friend and me to stop speaking Spanish, she was not aware that such a request could hinder God’s work and the witness of God’s people.
Nonetheless, we continued our conversation en Español.
God is helping and challenging us to appreciate what God is doing in our midst, so that with a thousand tongues and in many languages we may sing and speak our Great Redeemer’s praise.
¿Nos puedes escuchar? Can you hear us?
The Rev. Eliezér Valentín-Castañón is associate general secretary of the General Commission on Religion and Race.
Eliezér Valentín-Castañón
