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Alexander Araya Bermdez

Professor Monica Bradley

Barrios y Borders: Lenguaje e Identidad en los grupos minoritarios

24 May 2017

Language

I find impressive how most of the different definitions of language can be reduced

to that mechanism we use to communicate one another. And, one of the affirmation I

tend to back up is that language serves its purpose as long it allows us to express

ourselves and understand one another. That initial position being stated, this paper will

deal with language and its significant importance in regards to cultural identity, and as a

form of, both, power and oppression with an important effect on Latinos living in the US.

Most of the ideas and positions hereby provided are the result of my reaction to

the video Code-Switching: Communication That Matters, and the readings A Letter to

Third World Women Writers, Las aeious, and How to Tame a Wild Tongue.

First, I think that the video mentions some key aspects in terms of the role

language has on cultural identity. Language is a living element of society; therefore, it

has a close relationship with cultural identity, as it allows to express and communicate

with an intrinsic sense of belonging. I totally agree with Dr. Joanne Scheibman, a

Linguist from Old Dominion University: language is important in terms of our identities

as a group. The mechanism we use to communicate one another, and the particular

twist a cultural group imprints to it, becomes as relevant as any other cultural trait. One

example I like from the documentary sneak peek mentions that language embodies

peoples culture, and the way people are raised. I cant but add examples of different
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ways this affirmation makes sense: the expressions our grand-parents used during our

childhood, the unique jargon we use in our homes with our parents, siblings, and

relatives in general. As Richard Coleman, Retired Executive Director of Achievable

Dream Academy, mentions: language is ultimately a defense mechanism. And, as a

result, language becomes so inner to our cultural identity most of us would certainly

agree with Gloria Anzalda when she said `[] if you want to really hurt me, talk badly

about my language" (33).

In addition to language relevance in terms of cultural identity, we can also state

that language is a form of power and oppression. Countless are the examples I can cite

where language has served this purpose. I think there is no better reference that one of

the phrases from the readings to support this idea: [t]he color of ones skin said a lot

but not everything; one had to add the purity and antiquity of faith and something else:

the command of the oral means of expression. The example par excellence are

colonization process around the world during our entire history, where the predominant

culture, or conquerors, impose their language, and use it as a control strategy. This

latter affirmation echoes with one of the expression Dr. Joanne Scheibman reinforces

during her partition on the documentary, that is the stereotyped idea that there is a

correct way to speak a correct language. This determines what she calls the prestige

dialect the language the dominant group uses, and that changes over time. In other

words, Gloria Anzalda describes it as the way language has been used against people

by the dominant culture. Nonetheless, we do not have to limit ourselves to archaic

examples, as we can extrapolate the same situation to what we live daily as speakers of

different languages. Unfortunately, I can mentions some 21 century examples: the

traditionalist structure of native speakers managing transnational companies, the idea

that a good customer service resides on sounding native-like when speaking, which at

the end results, not only on the use of a different language, but also on the elimination

of any trace in our accents.

Now that I mentioned how I consider language relates to identity and power, I

would like to also express my opinion, or react, to the important effect it has on Latinos

living in the US. Getting back to Dr. Scheibman, there are two key ideas that I do

consider crucial: the first one is that some dialects are stereotyped as incorrect by the

attitude of people, which has a significant effect on Latinos living in the US, as they are

a minority subject to the power of the Americans. The other one relates to the idea that

the command of the prestige dialect is the one and only way to pursue a better life,

which is true, somehow, but people cannot be that close-minded. Current conditions, as

Gloria Anzalda says, may make some people feel ashamed of their own tongues, or

the way they speak a different language. An important affirmation is the unfortunate

truth of the Latinos being forced to speak American, if they want to be American. This

with the verbal threat of being sent back to Mexico, where we all Latinos seem to

belong. Bullying at schools is another example: kids forcing their classmates to get rid of

accents. I do not want to give the idea that Americans are the root cause of the different

effects the command of English language has on Latinos living in the US: I also think

we, Latinos, have a lot to do, as our sense of belonging changed. As Gloria Anzalda

mentions, Latino moms force their kids to avoid their accents and sound natural, and

we, as grown-ups, sometimes feel ashamed of the way we speak and the accent we

have.
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To conclude, I do believe language has an important role on the identity and the

way power and oppression relates to Latinos living in the US. Language represents us,

it is part of our cultural traits, and it should be exhibit with pride, not a heavy imposition

of what we are.