Myranda Velez, a Puerto Rican New Yorker, sifts through her various novellas until she finds just the one to suit her mood. She shuffles through her playlist until she finds the perfect song to match her chosen literary work, and eases into her reading session. Both forms of media, the novella and the song, are in Spanish, the language of her heritage. However, more than for her enjoyment, she uses these works to enhance her learning and understanding of Spanish, motivated by her grandparents.

Growing up in lower Manhattan, near Spanish Harlem, Myranda struggled with not being fluent in Spanish despite living in a Hispanic neighborhood. People would categorize her under the “no sabo” stereotype (“I don’t know” in English), which refers to those of Hispanic backgrounds who can’t speak Spanish fluently. As she mentions in her personal language/literacy narrative, “The unsaid rule I learned while growing up in a Puerto Rican family was that if you didn’t speak Spanish, you weren’t Spanish.” Some of her relatives, such as her grandparents, speak solely Spanish. Regardless, this language barrier didn’t prevent her grandparents from communicating their love and affection for her in any way they could, be it through making her food, complimenting her, etc. In turn, she’d help them with groceries and appointments, and would reciprocate all the fondness they’d give her. In the same vein, they’d exchange their languages, in order to break down their language barrier. While her grandparents learned English, she worked on her Spanish. 

When asked about how the role of language has evolved across generations Myranda had this to say: “Today, we are more relaxed/calm about language. We use informal language, speak multiple languages, and try to be inclusive by avoiding words that might make some people feel left out. New technology today plays a role a lot for communication…” As language becomes increasingly more flexible over time, it becomes less of a barrier for communication and more of a tool to express oneself and bridge people together via the exchange of linguistic and cultural features. Myranda embraced this new role of language, by expanding her set of known languages and using technology such as translation apps and Duolingo to aid her in that goal. Her tenacity in conveying her personality and emotions with her language helped her grandparents understand her better, and vice versa. As a result, their bond only grew stronger.

Unfortunately, Myranda’s grandmother would pass away in November of 2022, taking a severe toll on her psyche and her motivation to learn Spanish. Though she did try to continue her studies, other forms of learning simply weren’t compatible with her. “While in middle school and high school, I took Spanish classes to get more involved, but I never learned as effectively as I did with them because those classes often taught standard Spanish.” Myranda goes on to talk about how Spanish has different dialects, meanings, and interpretations depending on the country and the context. The contrast between the Puerto Rican Spanish she would need the most at home and the standard Spanish she learned in school only made her more disorientated in her language learning journey. Nevertheless, she still had her grandfather’s support, and so in time she found the courage and willpower to continue building fluency in Spanish with him, and continues to do so today.

Myranda’s narrative starts off with a quote from Allen Klein, embedded in a 15 point Open Sans font and red text, already giving it visual distinction in contrast to the Calibri the rest of her personal essay is written in. The quote reads, “There are no language barriers when you are smiling.” It serves as an epigraph, establishing the central theme of this piece from the very beginning. Readers are reminded that the linguistic obstacles Myranda and her grandparents faced didn’t prevent them from expressing their love and affection for one another and continuing to “smile” in each others’ presence. Moreover, in times of grief and loss, we are often told to cherish the precious memories we have with deceased loved ones and smile despite the aching pain we feel in our hearts. The sorrow Myranda felt after losing her grandmother only thickened the language barrier between her and her family, but by choosing to smile through the pain she learned how to both handle her grief and deconstruct the barrier once more. In that sense too, Klein’s quote highlights another major theme of Myranda’s literary work: in the face of tragedy, you must gain the strength and endurance to cope with your emotions and continue striving towards your goals.

In detailing her experiences, rather than simply stating she had loving interactions with her grandparents, Myranda opts for specificity and even integrates actual Spanish to make her narrative more vivid for the reader, such as “tu es linda” and “te quiero mucho.” It’s this conscious choice that makes this story emphatically Hispanic. Without such small but significant details, a few changed words could turn this narrative into a story about an author of a completely different race/heritage. The images Myranda provides at the end of her narrative also accentuates the role her background plays, by showcasing Puerto Rican meals. People tend to remember images more vividly than text, and so this careful choice on Myranda’s part helps emphasize the context of the story and perhaps even construct a more evocative tone to her writing. 

In addition to the rhetorical strategies mentioned above, Myranda’s use of pathos is especially notable, and possibly the strongest and most masterfully maneuvered part of her writing. She starts by describing her own personal struggles with not understanding Spanish in a Puerto Rican household and how it affects her perception of her identity, something that much of the intended audience – others who fall under “no sabo” – can relate to. From there she introduces the love her grandparents would give her despite this linguistic barrier. Love itself is strongly correlated with pathos because it’s one of the strongest emotions one can experience. Later in the essay, Myranda mentions the unfortunate loss of her grandmother, a pivotal moment in her life that has readers feeling sympathetic and sorrowful. The fact that Myranda found the courage to continue learning Spanish with her grandfather after this tragic event leaves the reader feeling inspired, thus effectively supporting her purpose of promoting connection and togetherness.

To this day, Myranda is persistent in improving her Spanish and bridging the cultural gaps she’s felt for so long. She regularly uses books, shows, and songs among other means to situate herself in Spanish speaking contexts and develop her skills. To this end, she even occasionally reads baby books. She reasons, “If I love my culture, people and food plus I’m originally from there then I need to learn the language.” Despite the many strides she’s made in her journey, when she mentions this to others, they often tell her that her knowledge is useless if she isn’t fluent. As condescending as that may seem, Myranda doesn’t let it get to her. For her, all that matters is that she can communicate with her own family.  Regardless, it’s worth acknowledging that her fluency level in Spanish plays no diminishing role in the strength of her familial bonds. She holds a strong philosophy when it comes to connecting with her grandparents and other relatives: “To me if there is a will, there is a way, and I never allowed our language barrier to stand in the way.”