Does speaking advanced level Spanish mean you are advanced level Hispanic?

by Talia Leon-Villanueva, Account Supervisor

I’ve had a number of conversations recently about what makes a Hispanic, Hispanic.  Interestingly, language seemed to come up as a prerequisite.  Does speaking Spanish make a Hispanic more Hispanic than one who doesn’t?  Often times, Hispanics who speak Spanish fluently criticize those who speak less or not at all.

Why is that?

Take me for example, all of my grandparents migrated to the US.  They lived in areas of New York where there was no need to learn English so to this day. Now, more than 30 years later, they live about 95% of their lives in a Spanish-speaking world.  My uncles and aunts (2^nd generation), on the other hand, were born and grew up in the States.  English is their first language; however, they had to learn Spanish in order to speak to their parents. And, since they grew up in predominately Hispanic areas and many of their friends are first generation, they had more of an opportunity to speak Spanish.

And now on to my generation (3^rd generation)…  Technically, I am second generation since my dad was born in Ecuador, but in an effort to make this less complicated, let’s just say I am 3^rd . After all, my mom was born here.  As a 3^rd Gen, I luckily grew up very close to my grandparents who taught me Spanish, while my parents spoke to me equally in English and Spanish, or “Spanglish”.  My cousins on the other hand were not able to learn Spanish at home and did not spend as much time as I did with my grandparents; therefore, many of them don’t speak Spanish at all.  Yes, you could say “shame on my aunts and uncles for not teaching their children;” but by the early 90’s we all ended up moving out of NY and into Melbourne, FL which at the time had little to no Hispanic population, making it less of a necessity. Plus 20 years ago no one knew just how essential it would be to speak Spanish.  And let’s face it, Spanish was never their primary language, so asking them to speak Spanish to their children every day would be like asking them to teach them Algebra every day.  While they may have learned it when they were young, it doesn’t make them experts.

Now to my point. My cousins may not speak Spanish fluently but their last names are still – Sellas, Rios, Lopez and Morales.  They still live and breathe the culture through the music they listen to, the food they cook, and -most importantly- the traditions our grandparents have bestowed upon us.

Would critics of Spanish fluency rather my cousins not say they are Hispanic?  Would they prefer my cousins who are college-educated and successful doctors, nurses, accountants, executives, entrepreneurs, sales representatives etc. not say they are Hispanic because they are so-called “phonies”?  Should J-Lo, Cristina Aguilera and Jessica Alba not claim to be Hispanic because they don’t speak Spanish fluently?

I have been taught that being Hispanic is more than just speaking the language.  My daughter will learn to speak Spanish but not because it will make her more Hispanic, but because it is better for her brain development. And, if she so chooses to follow in her mother’s footsteps as I did, she will know the language and be successful using it in her career.  She will be Hispanic because I am, and because her grandparents and great grandparents are Hispanic.  And guess what? She will learn the culture and traditions of each part of her ethnicity – Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican AND Peruvian.  This is what is going to make her Hispanic.

So, let’s stop putting each other down. Rather, let’s start encouraging our fellow hermanos y hermanas to be the best Hispanics we can be.  This means contributing to society in a positive way and making our parents proud.