Se Habla Español Analysis

An anonymous author wrote “Our culture, our traditions, our language are the foundations upon which we build our identity.” This brings out what Tanya Maria Barrientos argues throughout her essay, “Se Habla Español.” She struggled to identify herself as Latino and embracing her Spanish heritage. So at a young age, she decided to step away from America’s stereotypical view of Latin’s and embrace what she thought was the correct way to live. One main thing she didn’t want was to be able to speak Spanish, because she thought people would automatically judge her. Like Barrientos, I how was raised had a lot to do with my identity and how I perceived myself and the world. In this essay Barrientos argues that the language she speaks defines her identity and who she is as a person. As Barrientos was growing up, she realized being Latin-American was not what she wanted to be, she decided to didn’t want to speak Spanish, as Barrientos says, “To me, speaking Spanish translated into being poor.” She also said “It meant waiting tables and cleaning hotel rooms. It meant being poor.” She thought if she stayed away from Spanish stereotypes they would
In Felsenfelds article he points out that the first time he heard classical music was like discovering music for the first time. To him it was similar to learning a new language, like Barrientos to find her identity. Felsenfekd Writes, “My passion for this “other” kind of music felt like the height of rebellion: I was the lone Bolshevik in my army.” Comparing with Barrientos, like how she had to also had to work hard to learn Spanish, but she also felt like she was alone in it. Contrasting with Barrientos article, it wasn’t her passion to learn Spanish it was more of an obligation to learn. Both authors discus what it’s like to learn and work hard for something that identifies them as a person and how they choose to view