I have read the column by Martín Caparrós published in EL PAÍS on June 25 in which he maintains that speaking Spanish in the US is a sign of failure, fundamentally because it reflects the immigration of a population that is located in the lowest levels of the country's social scale.
I totally disagree.
Caparrós focuses exclusively on recent Latin American migration to the US, but he omits so many other factors in his article that it reads as a one-sided and limited text.
Spanish was always present in the vast annexed territories of Spain and Mexico.
This began in the first half of the 19th century with the purchase of Florida from Spain (1819), the annexation of Texas (1845), the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and the purchase of territories in New Mexico and Arizona (1854). ).
The "territories lost" by Mexico after the war, or later sold, include the States of California, Nevada and Utah, and part of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Oklahoma and make up a third of the US territory. And after the war between the US and Spain (1898), Puerto Rico became a US territory. This population spoke Spanish since the foundation of the Spanish colonies in the 16th century and their descendants continued to do so as part of the US territory. USA They are not immigrants.
It should be noted that the problems faced by the new migrations of Latin Americans, of which Caparrós speaks, are not different from those faced by previous migrants, such as Irish or Italians, who suffered from negative stereotypes, discrimination, poor jobs and low incomes.
However, since these are recent migrations, the new Latin Americans in the US enjoy several advantages.
The first is precisely that recent Latin Americans have resisted the
melting pot
that forced all the previous ones —Italians, Germans, Nordics, etc.— to abandon their language in order to assimilate.
Recent migration comes at a time when globality, multiculturalism and a second language are celebrated as assets.
And they do well to maintain Spanish because of the importance of the language in the US and in the world.
In fact, Spanish is by far the most preferred among students interested in acquiring a second language in the US, with 72% of foreign language students.
The second advantage is in their numbers.
According to the last census of 2020, more than 60 million people define themselves as Hispanic or Latino, among which 45 million speak Spanish at home.
Hispanics today are the first ethnic majority in the US, with almost 19% of the total population.
The Cervantes Institute projects that in 2060, the US will be the second Spanish-speaking country in the world, after Mexico.
This has unprecedented political, economic, social and cultural force.
Increasingly, Hispanics are making their voices heard (often in Spanish) to build blocs of support for Hispanic candidates.
With 13% among voters in the 2020 presidential election, the two largest parties, the Democrats and the Republicans,
they are seeking to attract both candidates of Hispanic origin and define a specific offer to attract the Hispanic vote.
They are also an important commercial force.
According to an article in this same newspaper, the vast majority of Latin Americans in the US are not poor: “If Hispanics residing in the US were considered an independent economy, they would be the ninth in the world, a potential that has not gone unnoticed for American companies that have realized the importance of penetrating the Hispanic market”.
Culturally, they have an ever-increasing impact, and hopefully with fewer stereotypes.
Hispanic music has had its own recognition for 22 years at the Latin Grammys.
Spanish, Mexican and Peruvian food is recognized and restaurants with that culinary accent multiply.
There are theaters in Spanish in numerous cities, and Hispanic theater festivals in Miami and New York.
Similarly, at least 24 museums celebrate Hispanic and Latin American art and heritage.
Two television channels broadcast in Spanish nationwide.
One of them, Univisión, is the fourth most tuned-in network in the country.
Along the same lines, the Smithsonian Institution, whose mission is to preserve the heritage and shape the identity of the country with its museums, research and education,
has just announced the construction of the new National Museum of the Latino American.
According to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the new museum "will showcase the history, art, culture, and scientific achievements of the Latino population in the United States, in order to present a deeper, more nuanced, and more complete story about who we are as a nation”.
Undoubtedly, this museum will present its entire collection in Spanish and English.
I don't think there is a better example to completely rule out Caparrós' thesis about the insignificance of the presence of Spanish in the US.
the story about who we are as a nation.”
Undoubtedly, this museum will present its entire collection in Spanish and English.
I don't think there is a better example to completely rule out Caparrós' thesis about the insignificance of the presence of Spanish in the US.
the story about who we are as a nation.”
Undoubtedly, this museum will present its entire collection in Spanish and English.
I don't think there is a better example to completely rule out Caparrós' thesis about the insignificance of the presence of Spanish in the US.
Gabriela Vega
is a Peruvian sociologist, resident in the US since 1989.
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