Do Your Kids Speak Spanish? 'Americanized' Latino Families are Not Proficient Claudia Sermeno - Being Latino
go to original March 22, 2013

That is a question that we as Latino Americans are used to asking of representatives of educational, community, political, service and other societal entities. But is this a question that we now have to ask our own children, our own youth, and our own counterparts?

It is a common occurrence that children of “Americanized” Latino families are not proficient, let alone fluent in the language of their previous generations, Spanish. Whether or not this reality is created purposefully or not is a variable factor for families. Some parents unknowingly establish a monolingual environment by not using, not exposing children to the Spanish language either verbally, written or in the media that is prioritized in the home, namely television programming, radio, and Internet.

For others it is a choice made in what is believed to be the best interest of children, meaning for parents cultivating an English only household translates to guaranteed access to societal equity and reduces the likelihood of experienced prejudice and racism. With documented and historically accurate instances of implemented marginalization of Latinos in the 30s, 40s and alongside the civil rights movement, the emphasis of raising English only speaking children may have been a key strategy for parents to ensure that their children did not experience racial and cultural prejudices like they may have.  I have to believe that Latino parents who do choose to raise monolingual children do so with good intentions.

Read the rest at Being Latino

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!