Paragraph:
“Caribbean languages have long been held in contempt as derivative, adulterated, illiterate. What Puerto Ricans speak is “barely Spanish”, I’ve been told more than once by sophisticated American liberals who read Roberto Bolano in translation. This is the blame game of diaspora: We’ve cannibalized “too much” English. But Puerto Ricans have fought fiercely to preserve this supposedly cut-rate Spanish as the official language of government, schooling and culture under U.S. colonialism. This syncretic, sidelong way of speaking– celebrated and circulated via popular music– archives histories of migration, resistance and coerced intimacy barely audible elsewhere.
SWE
Caribbean languages and dialects have for a long time, even today, been considered to be full of vulgarity, ignorance and illiteracy. When it comes to Spanish, there are many versions of Spanish even forms unknown to me. I have heard people speak of “Broken Spanish”, “Proper Spanish”, “Wrong Spanish”, “Illegible Spanish”. To say “ What Puerto Ricans speak is barely Spanish” makes me wonder who has the right to make such a determination. “We’ve cannibalized too much English”, I think it means English is becoming the more dominant language in what is considered a spanish speaking country. The history behind its primary language is unique and extensive beyond what historians and politicians think they may know, however, Puerto Rico is a United States territory so I believe both languages should be respected equally. Puerto Ricans should fight to preserve Spanish as the official language but also acknowledge the advantage that comes with the duality of both Spanish and English being considered the “official language” of the country.
Personal Response
This paragraph stood out to me because it highlighted the difference in opinions when it comes to language. Many countries in the world put a huge emphasis on the importance of being bilingual, even trilingual. English is one of the most popular languages spoken outside of America. I can understand why Puerto Ricans see the importance of preserving Spanish as the country’s official language but given the political factors of the country, I don’t think English should be frowned upon. I think it gives the country a huge advantage with having two languages as its “official language”.
Rewritten Version (sharing w/ grandparent)
I had no idea that there were so many different versions of Spanish. I have heard people talk about “Broken Spanish”, “Good Spanish”, “Bad Spanish”, “Right Spanish”, “Wrong Spanish.” I wonder what is considered “Correct Spanish” and who decides that? They say that the people in Puerto Rico speak a different type of Spanish than the people in other Spanish speaking countries like Mexico or Dominican Republic. Some people even believe that Puerto Ricans barely speak Spanish and that English is taking over the country. It is hard to make a decision on what it should or shouldn’t be. The United States rule over Puerto Rico so I get that they that would want the English language to be spoken in Puerto Rico but, I think it shouldn’t be ignored that Spanish was mainly the official language of the country.
