Self-portrait,  Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala, Inca nobleman who learned Spanish and wrote a chronicle of the ill-treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards.

Asking About Bilingualism

Mis tweets hoy:

Many say #beinglatino now means losing #Spanish speaking ability. Anyone w opinions on this topic?

Muchos dicen que #beinglatino ahora significa perder la capacidad de hablar #español. ¿Alguien con opiniones sobre este tema?

What Interests Me the Most About the Previous List of Topics?

Lo que más me gusta de la lista anterior de temas es...

How is being bilingual different for Latinos than for previous waves of immigrants? What first comes to mind is that Latinos are from the Americas. Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, etc. are also from the Americas - however, these countries have not sent the same size "waves" as their Latino sisters and brothers.

¿Porqué me llevó tanto tiempo...?

...A averiguar que si voy a hablar del bilinguismo, tengo que practicarlo también.  Así que aquí estoy , escribiendo en español.  Un ejemplo de comunicar en otro idioma, que pudiera ser cualquier idioma, pero en mi caso es español.

So I should make a very rough list of the topics I could discuss:

-Who is bilingual and why? (In the world as a whole, in the USA)
-The benefits of being bilingual, practically speaking
-The benefits to the brain
-Biculturalism and Bilingualism
-Open mindedness
-Being English-Spanish (ES) bilingual in the United States
-ES bilingualism for Latinos - Why is it different for us than former waves of immigrants?

That's all for now!  ¡Ya acabé!

Why Bilingualism? Part II or My Bilingualism, Right or Wrong.

Being Bilingual - does that mean you speak both languages fluently?  It should not.  When is someone bilingual? And should people who only know a few words in the second language be made to feel as if they shouldn't keep trying?  In the beginning, learning is like banging your head against a wall.  Speaking a new language is like banging your head against the wall in front of other people.

Why Bilingualism?

I would like to write an article on bilingualism, biculturalism, or both.  The topic of bilingualism might be misunderstood, at first glance, as being about English and Spanish.  And I certainly would want to say a lot about that.  For biculturalism, I might want to interview Father James Manning of St. Rose of Lima.  He certainly opened my eyes to the influence of culture on faith.

The Latino Question

Which term is best to describe this ethnic or minority group that  often includes many cultures, races, and languages? "Latino" or "Hispanic?"

Credit:

 Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid
Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Wikipedia has a well-annotated article that traces the origin of the word "Hispanic," which comes from the Latin "Hispanicus." This was the adjective derived from "Hispania," which meant the Iberian  Peninsula during the time of the Roman Empire.  More recently, "Hispanic" has come to mean people of Spanish-speaking descent.  Giovanni Rodriguez, whom I quote in an earlier post, has a great discussion in his column the origin and usage of "Hispanic," especially as it applies to Brazilians.

Is Latino the same as Hispanic?  As originally used by the Romans, "Hispanic" was used for anyone from the Iberian Peninsula.  This would include both Spain and Portugal. Important, since Brazil, the largest Latin American Portugal would be excluded, though, in Hispanic's more recent usage of anyone of Spanish-speaking descent or culture.

If "Latino" has as its root the word "Latin," and all romance languages are derived from Latin, not only Spanish, but also Portuguese.  If Latino is a shortened form of "Latinoamericano," that would include Brazil, which speaks Portuguese.

Confusing, since Hispanic can have more than one meaning and Latino can as well.  According to Rodriguez, though, these two terms have the same meaning to the census.  So for today's purposes, I consider them to be synonyms, although this would exclude Brazilians.  The National Center for Biotechnology Information observes that that in the 2000 census, only 7.7% of Brazilians self-identified as Hispanic.

So which do I prefer?  Of course, I named this the "Latino Review," so that must indicate something.  I like the Spanish sound to the word, and that it seems to be growing as a preferred term among other peoples of Spanish/ Latin American origin in the United States. What I do like about Hispanic, though, is that it automatically includes both genders. As is usual in Spanish custom, the masculine form is used to refer to both genders in the general sense, however, Latina is used when it clearly refers to all women or to a woman in particular. I do not like this, since I don't enjoy being included in the masculine form of the word every time I am lumped together with men.  So, like the census and the Pew Foundation reports on Latino/Hispanics, I will use the words interchangeably.

Another great resource for the History and Use of Hispanic and Latino is the New York Times post on its Usage and Style.