A Reaction to "Spanish Lessons"

Christine Marin's essay describes her cultural and linguistic journey that she went through in being born into a Mexican-American family. It was interesting to read that her parents did not teach her Spanish and instead told her to focus on being as fluent in English as possible. Her family made this decision because they believed that it would help protect her from racism and discrimination. What is interesting is that Christine really didn't even think about the Spanish language, it was practically as foreign to her as it was to other "Anglo" children her age. It was not until later in life did she actually realize the power of her heritage

Also, even though she was raised without learning her parents' native tongue, there was no escaping her ethnic identity. As she pointed out with the events on the band bus, her singing in Spanish, even along with "white" girls, led other children to categorize her as different and unamerican. Even with her upbringing, there was no way to change her ancestry. It was also interesting how her focus on mastering the English language somewhat backfired in college. The fact that a college professor would not even believe that she had written what she turned in because it was "too good" for someone who was Mexican-American is appalling.

I think the main theme of the essay was the value of knowing and appreciating one's heritage and all of the opportunities our unique family histories and languages can present. By embracing her heritage, Christine was able to become a significant Arizona State University library bibliographer, and an adjunct professor in women's studies at the same university. It is important that we not only accept our differences, but capitalize and maximize them. It is each human being's uniqueness and individuality that makes for a stimulating and unpredictable human existence. Language is one of the great cultural differences that exists in the world. Marin states in her last sentence "From the back of the bus to the ivory tower, I have learned the power of language." She is a prime example of someone who capitalized on their heritage and language and celebrated their own unique differences.