Lack of English can cause confusion in America

Living in the U.S. without the ability to speak English fluently can lead to a host of social, academic and economic struggles

BY NANCY SEPÚLVEDA

Ordering a burger and fries from a fast-food joint is an easy task for many Americans. For Roman Rodriguez, it can be cause for confusion and, sometimes, an empty stomach.

Rodriguez, a sophomore at the University of New Mexico who hopes to enter the medical field, is still learning to speak English. The language barrier can make the simplest of interactions frustrating, he said.

Though he understands English, he sometimes has trouble articulating his own thoughts, he said.

Rodriguez is not alone in his predicament.

As the immigration debate rages on, along with efforts to make English the country's legally designated official language, there are people living with the daily realities of a world where much of what is said is incomprehensible to them, said highschool teacher Linda Mejia.

Mejia has worked with the English as a Second Language program at her school, and said the public perception often is that ESL students are slower learners.

"These kids are bright, hardworking, and eager to learn," Mejia said. "They happened to grow up in an environment that made it difficult to pick up English."

Rodriguez grew up speaking Spanish and did not begin to learn English until he was about 16, when he attended a public high school in Colorado.

"There was around 30 of us in a bilingual-education program. We mostly spoke in Spanish, so it didn't really help us learn English," he said.

He said it has been a struggle for him to keep up in most of his university classes.

"People get frustrated at me," he said of speaking in class. "I see it in their faces. I try to not pay attention, but it embarrasses me."

His teachers have not made any special allowances for him because of the language barrier, Rodriguez said.

"Sometimes I think they're actually harder on me," he said with a laugh.

It takes him much longer to complete homework assignments and class projects, but as a result he is more proud of what he does accomplish, Rodriguez said.

He said he also faced both subtle and blatant assumptions that he is an illegal immigrant because he speaks Spanish.

"Some counselors at my high school act[ed] like they were 'saving' the illegal,”" said Rodriguez, who was born in the U.S. and is a citizen, but spent his childhood in Mexico.

UNM student Esmeralda Zamora said she is also misclassified when she speaks Spanish in public.

"People ask questions about where my family is from, how long I've been here, if I have a passport," said Zamora, who was born in Albuquerque and grew up in Texas.

Zamora was first exposed to English when she entered pre-school.

"It was hard at first. Most of the time I found myself in [a state of] confusion, trying to learn both languages," she said.

Many people mistakenly assume that those who can't speak English defiantly refuse to learn it, or are simply lazy, Zamora said.

"Everybody wants to be understood and fit into their environment, to belong,”" Zamora said. "But it can be really hard to learn a new language, especially if you're older and don't have the opportunity to attend school."

Those who are quick to denounce non-English speakers shouldn't make judgments without knowing each person's circumstances, Zamora said.

Zamora cited her own father as an example.

"He stressed the importance of knowing English, but he himself has always been kept busy with other things — like working, raising five children, supporting his family," she said.

There was little time or resources available for her father to learn English, but her mother and five siblings are all fluent, Zamora said.

In the Rodriguez household, Roman is the only person who can speak some English. He frequently finds himself in the role of translator for his mother.

"It can be really hard," Rodriguez said. "My mom tries, but she gets stuck and I have to take over."

From trips to the grocery store to medical visits, Rodriguez said that, as translator, he carries a lot of responsibility for his family's well being.

He also admitted to purposefully mistranslating at times, to avoid confrontations or unwelcome situations.

"In class, if I say something wrong someone might laugh. At work, if my mom uses the wrong word she can lose her job."

Today there are more public resources available to non-English speakers, such as signs, notices and advertisements posted in other languages, as well as translators or bilingual employees offered by many businesses and departments.

"Still, that doesn't tackle the stigma society places on non-English speakers," Mejia said. "How useful is having a translator when a customer is too embarrassed to request one, and other employees just refuse to assist [Spanish speakers]?"

A lot of anti-Spanish sentiment is the result of fear, Zamora said.

"People hear about the rising number of Hispanics and imagine this, like, wave of brownness taking over the country," she said. "They're afraid of becoming the minority, and being the ones who can't understand the popular language."

Still, there is no denying the necessity of speaking English if you live in the U.S., Zamora said. Knowing English is the only way to access educational and professional opportunities regardless of your ethnicity, she said.

"Speaking English has opened so many doors for me," Zamora said.
Yet speaking Spanish will always be a treasured part of her cultural and family life, Zamora said.

"I'm happy to know English, but I'm proud to speak Spanish," she said. "It builds a sense of community and heritage that can't be taken away or assimilated out of me."

Written March 13, 2008

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