Why the Importance of Being Bilingual?

As a 3rd grader at Washington Elementary in Mount Vernon, Washington, an exchange teacher from London once asked, "are you bilingual?" I thought, well I do translate for the family at the hospital, car dealerships, ordering food and the occasional telemarketer phone call. Sound familiar? For anyone calling the house, my family would always say, "diles que no estamos aqui" [tell them we're not here!]. I told the London teacher, "yes, I do know Spanish, but I must confess, I have some difficulty." At home, our Spanish is different than the Spanish usually heard on Univision. Much more broken. The teacher was quick to remark, "that's wonderful, my dearest David, that you're bilingual!" She told me, and the other 30 in the class that in her country the Europeans usually speak more than two languages. Some three, or four. She empowered me, "don't ever forget Spanish, not tomorrow, not ever." From that day on, I was determined to hold onto Spanish despite the opinion of others.

The Sad Truth
Throughout history, some "experts" have made gone out of their way to convince, persuade and sometimes coerce some Americans that speaking Spanish was "bad" and detrimental to their sons/daughters success in the United States. Many parents, sadly, did not teach or pass on Spanish to their children. Almost weekly I run into individuals that did not have the gift of Spanish given to them.

On the flip side, there is an increasing number of families where the 2nd generation is speaking English at home, refusing to speak and learn Spanish. Do you think these children will be better off in the globalized economy? In a country where Spanish is the fastest-growing language, in a world where it is the second most commonly known language?

Hindering Oneself
Just as my teacher from London pointed out, speaking two or more languages is critical for survival. Knowing a second language does not hinder success, it provides additional avenues for us to realize our goals.

The advantages of being bilingual for me have been three-fold:
1. The confidence of being able to communicate with my family back in Nayarit and Jalisco, Mexico. It’s embarrassing and a morale killer when you're not able to communicate with and draw the lessons of your extended family.

2. Bridging the gap between cultures. Being able to communicate with the Tapias, Rodriguez, Nuñez, etc., in my community and my school allowed me to have a much larger sphere of influence.

3. It helped me understand our world through multiple perspectives. At the Catholic Church where my family attended, the Pastor always had a way of explaining things both in Spanish and English that revealed the differing ways these languages filter our world. We are open to a much broader and profound view when we have multiple ways understanding our world.

Truth Is Often Universal
In Mexico, the fastest-growing language is English. Wal-Mart, Costco, and hundreds of other American name brands are flooding Mexican communities. Knowing English in Mexico has become as much a matter of economic survival as knowing Spanish is becoming in the U.S. In an increasing number of jobs, to apply you must know English.

What's your take? What did we miss? We'd like to know.
-David