There is an art in speaking Spanglish. In order to speak Spanglish one must fully understand and be aware of both languages. Spanglish is the ability to intertwine Spanish and English seamlessly. Not only is Spanglish the merging of two languages, it is also the merging of two cultures.
The origins of Spanglish, stem from the time the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. This treaty gave Mexican territory located in the South Western part of what is currently the United States. These territories represent present-day Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Due to assimilation, these families were forced to speak English at work and outside of the house. If these families didn’t cooperate with this, they would often face discrimination from many. Even though they had to speak English when involved with society, they continued embracing their culture and traditions by speaking Spanish at home. This was the language most familiar to them.
As years began passing and first-generation Americans started having children, this new generation created Spanglish as a way to merge the two cultures that make them who they are today. As Latin American parents and their children start becoming more comfortable with English, Spanglish developed as a happy medium to both languages.
Being someone who was born in one country and partially raised in another, I feel deeply attached to both my Dominican and American culture. Spanglish is a linguistic representation of the merging of cultures that begins to happen when you are born in a foreign country and grow up in the United States.
Works Cited:
Wilson, Tracy V. “How Spanglish Works.” HowStuffWorks, HowStuffWorks, 1 Dec. 2006, people.howstuffworks.com/spanglish3.htm.
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