Se Habla [UNK] By Tanya Maria Barrientos And Mother Tongue By Amy Tan

801 Words2 Pages

“Breaking through cultural divides.”
Have you ever wondered how other cultures feel when they come to the United States? Some cultures may feel comfortable with speaking the English language, while others may have a little trouble. In the essays Se Habla Espan᷉ol by Tanya Maria Barrientos and Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, there are two different cultures with similarities as well as differences. If you have ever had any doubt or shame about yourself, then you should take what these ladies say to heart. Just because you are not born in America does not mean you cannot make your life the best it can be; you should not be ashamed of where you came from, just learn new ways to make it better. Although some cultures have similarities and differences, …show more content…

She is also a non-Spanish-speaking Latino. Her family never spoke their native language in the home. Her parents were college-educated bilinguals that had settled in Texas. When she was a child, Barrientos thought that being Latino meant you could only work in hotels or waiting table. She had thought that being Latino also meant you could not be a physician or an attorney, the school counselor would just give a patronizing smile. Since her family never speaks Spanish, their native language, she never learned how to speak Spanish. This lead to a deep feeling of shame in regards to not knowing her culture. For her to overcome her shame she started taking Spanish speaking classes as an adult. When Barrientos first signed up for her Spanish class, the instructor looked at her strangely. She was then told to explain why she was having to take the class. After becoming fluent in her native language, Barrientos overcame her shame and gained acceptance of her culture and more importantly in herself. Barrientos had different obstacles that she had to overcome so she could be the writer she is today. She was very proud to finally be able to call herself a Latino without hesitation for the first

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