When I was younger, I was the only Spanish-speaking person in my grade, so I was automatically assumed to be ‘slower’ than another child my age. However, I could read in both English and Spanish at age 4, when most people had assumed incorrectly. Due to this, I was placed in a correct grade for my age, but incorrect for my skillset. While in elementary school (Kindergarten-8th Grade), speaking my heritage language was seen as a hindrance and something that I needed to get rid of, an oddity in a very white neighborhood. Outside of school, I regularly converse with my family in my heritage language. It’s easier to converse with them in Spanish so as to have a sense of privacy about our conversations and to give my non-native Spanish-speaking siblings practicing my heritage language. It has also come in handy when I worked in food service, allowing me to help customers feel more at ease and order their food in more concise and precise manner.
