TEDx
I’m Mexican. Does that change your assumptions about me?
I was at a Journalism Conference this past week and there were many Latino/a/x journalists, teachers, and students there. More than once, I would begin a conversation with someone in English and they would immediately respond in Spanish. I would have to stop them and tell them that I did not speak Spanish and could they please speak English to me. Sometimes, there would be a shocked response like “What do you mean you don’t speak Spanish?”, but most times they would just switch to English and it was no big deal. I mean, this was a conference representing various diverse and establishment organizations with people from all over the United States.
It did get me thinking though about how I fit into that community of bilingual speakers as well as the community here in greater Los Angeles and Long Beach. Over the years since I’ve arrived on the west coast, I’ve been lectured about my language skills by Latino/a/x and also weirdly, how I carry myself Never quite understood what that means except someone once remarked about “acting Latino.”
Always be careful making judgements about anyone.
From a TEDx talk:
We are really good at forming judgements of other people and jump to conclusions based on how they look, sound, by their last names and by the color of their skin. But imagine if you could develop a simple tactic to challenge the assumptions that limit your life? Vanessa is a former TV anchor with a passion for bilingual storytelling. She loves journalism, culture, and believes in living an integrated life.
