Does anyone else cringe when they hear (or read) spanglish?

Celeste - posted on 03/17/2010

My grandmother did this. I think it's maybe she didn't know what the English word for it was. She also preferred the Spanish word for certain English words because they sounded "bad" to her. For example, she'd never say "sheets", she'd always say "sabanas" because to her, it sounded like a swear word.

Cynthia - posted on 03/11/2010

I agree with you, and I have the same perception as you. I think it could be a generation, and location culture rule or close to it. Spanish is also my first language, and I am literate.
I do have to say that languages evolve through time and Spanglish is a result of the mesh of the both languages. It is not different than "texting" or computer programming.
At the end of the day I am with you, I do think that is a reflection of the poor, illiterate group of people who were trying to survive and belong somewhere, also it is a power tool because they can discourage anyone who does not understand them....like a "power group initiation" if you know what I mean.....so they could target certain skills on certain people and know what they could understand or not...some type of reverse discrimination since it started in the 60's.

Abigail - posted on 03/07/2010

you have to think of other people outside of your situation too.. sometimes it can't be helped i am an american and my husband is a native mexican.. he has only been in the united states for 4 years and is trying to learn but does not know much english... i am only finishing up my senior year in high school spanish is my favorite subject and i am in my third year of it but i still dont' know enough to carry on full conversations in complete spanish my husband and i speak spanglish because we have no other way to communicate and that is what works for us.

Nora - posted on 02/12/2010

Spanglish is a significant part of Latino culture whether we accept it or not. Every ethnicity has their sub cultures and distinctive populations that speak their own unique way.

Latinos are the largest minority in this country and we have a loooong way to go. Nit picking on other Latinos just because they speak more or less Spanish doesn't help move us forward. Its suggestive to divide rather than unite us.

As far as slang, I don't think that's music to my ears anymore than it is to yours. But every group in the United States has that. No different that what Italians in the suburbs think of the middle to lower class "guidos".

Elisabed - posted on 02/12/2010

I'm actually the opposite of you. My first language is English and Spanish is my second. My parents are both Mexican, but since I was born I was always surrounded by English speaking baby sitters. I agree in that people need to stick to one language, but sometimes they do it because they can't think of the word in that particular language. Growing up, I found that chicanos were always critisized for not being able to speak Spanish like the native Mexicans. For the longest I felt that I had to prove something to people by learning and speaking the language to the best of my abilities. Now that I am older, I have understood that I don't need to please anyone but myself. If I can't think of a word in Spanish, I say it in English and explain what I'm talking about. Most of the time, the person whom I am speaking to tells me what they think it is in Spanish. I'm not embarrassed at all, it is part of who I am. I am proud to be a Chicano, but I agree that we have to have some standards.