Non-Spanish Fluent Latinas: “Don’t Judge Us

By 2050, the United States will be home to the most Spanish speakers in the world, according to the general secretary of the Association of Spanish Language Academies – Even so, there are many Latinos born and raised in the U.S. who are either not fluent, or don’t speak Spanish at all.

Historical Reasons for Lack of Fluency in Spanish

A common reason for the lack of fluency is simply due to parents not speaking Spanish to their children. There are various reasons why parents consciously choose not to pass their language onto the next generation. Those raised during the 1930′s and 40′s recall being forbidden from speaking Spanish at school, and being punished if they did. Due to racism during that time, even speaking Spanish in public was cause for being told to leave the area in some cases. Many who experienced this kind of discrimination didn’t teach Spanish to their children. In turn, these second generation Latino Americans were unable to teach it to their own children, even if they wanted to.

Some Latinos born and raised in the U.S. just never picked it up fluently, despite their parents best efforts to teach them, and so being insecure in their own skills, don’t speak it to their own children.

Another common reason given? – Concerns about English fluency. To many immigrants coming to the United States, English is the priority – English, in their eyes,  is what will open doors of opportunity to their children, which were not open to them. It is the nature of most immigrants to look towards the future, but sometimes a piece of the past is lost in the process.

According to one study, “The grandchildren of immigrants are likely to speak only English. By the third generation, only 17% of Hispanics speak Spanish fluently, and by the fourth generation, it drops to 5%.” – (source: hispanic7.com)

Feelings of Insecurity and Judgment from Others

For U.S. Latinos, not speaking Spanish is often a source of insecurity or even shame. Lacking Spanish fluency brings with it judgment from other Latinos in the community as well as a loss of opportunity.