Mrs. Asbury
English 100 B09
September 30, 2014
SWA# 2 Tanya Barrientos acceptance of society racism hinder her from having relations with Latinos, she puts in print an article entitled “Se Habla Española”. Barrientos was born in Guatemala and moved to El Paso Texas with her parents at the age of 3, who expect for both of their children to read, write, and speak only in English. Her parents felt that if she could speak without the accent of Spanish, American society would see that children with different cultural backgrounds could fit into English humanity smoothly. “In 1963” (83), “People who called themselves Mexican-Americans or Afro-Americans were considered dangerous radicals, while law bidding citizens were expected to drop their cultural baggage at the border and erase any lingering ethnic traits. (84). As a result of the racial discrimination American citizens had towards law-abiding citizens, Barrientos had instantly stop speaking Spanish when she was moved to El Paso Texas. Barrientos audiences are anyone who struggles with fitting in society just she do. When Barrientos expressed her disagreement of American society’s alleged of Latino being Mexican to her father, he sent her on a vacation to Mexico and after seeing how beautiful Mexico is, adjusted Barrientos negative understanding of Hispanics. “I found out that he was right, I loved the music, the art, and the architecture. “He’d planted a seed of pride, but it would take years for me to figure out how to nurture it” (85). Barrientos limitation of speaking Spanish hinders her bonding with her origin because Spanish aside from English was a way that Latinos connected. Barrientos was left questioning how she would fit in as Latino if she could not speak proper Spanish.
Barrientos purpose for this essay is to confess her limitation of speaking Spanish for society that has taught her being Latino speaking Spanish was being judged as a Mexican and being poor. “I saw the world