Day 17: Spanish is My Love Language

People often see my dark brown skin,

Caramel skin that is so delicately kissed by the sun and ask

“Why don’t you speak Spanish?”

The truth is, Spanish is my love language. Spanish is my culture. It runs in my veins, electrifying and branching to each part of my body, igniting a never-ending quest, reflection.

My ancestors tongue, flows freely, communally, communicated needs, wants, dreams for themselves and generations to come.

The same tongue of my grandparents, that delicately spoke commands, flirtations, and taunts to one another:

“¡Ay Dios! ¡Cómo friegas! ¡Cállate! Dame un pico.”

In the Maldonado household, we spoke English sprinkled with Spanish Love:

“¡Aye Madrecita! ¡Aye, Chihuahua! ¡Adelante, mija!

If you don’t go to sleep, the Cucuy will get you!”

To the Tejano love songs, crooning out the stereo met with my mom and tias harmonizing bellowing gritos:

“Y Volver, Volver, Volver!”

Yet… a language I grew up admiring and playfully heard in the spaces that were home to me, has always felt distant in other spaces.

I often think of my stoic Mamaw, Julia, who shared she was shamed at school for speaking a language that was home to her.

She never completed her education, but she grew up, married the love of her life, started a family and felt an obligation to encourage her niños to learn English above a language that was always home.

She never told them to abandon their language, but it was put on a shelf, collected dust, but it was cherished, held for moments, and lived loudly.

Through comunidad, platicas, generational traditions, dance halls filled with Tejano gritos, dining tables with enough fideo or arroz con pollo y homemade tortillas for the entire extended family and neighbors. To the reflective time in prayer, shifting rosary beads with each “Hail Mary” for a family member or friend in need.

So, Mija:

Speak, tell, write the story of our language. People will see your beautiful brown skin and ask:

“Why don’t you speak Spanish?”

You proudly say:

“I may speak English, but I love in Spanish!”

About the Author

Alethea Maldonado Cavin, Teacher & Somos Escritoras Writing Mentor

She is an Americana Mexicana, Latina, Tejana. She is from the small town of Rockdale, Texas. She grew up surrounded by family, especially her mother’s side: Los Juarez’.

Alethea is an Austin Community College and Texas State University graduate. She is a Heart of Texas Writing Project Teacher Consultant, a 2021 NCTE Early Career Educator of Color Award recipient, and in 2022 she was awarded TEA’s Title III Symposium ESL/Bilingual Teacher of the Year.

She is a mother to Soledad Basilia, many cats and a Dude pup. Her husband, Will, and her are dedicated educators in Lockhart, Texas.

Her mission as an educator to Multilingual students: “to continue to teach a love of reading and writing in which students are empowered through reading culturally relevant books and documenting their thoughts, stories, histories, creativity, aspirations in community with their peers.”

About the Blog Series

The #LatinaLuminaries Blog Series by Somos Escritoras. The series was created to illuminate the wisdom, experiences, voices, and truths of Latina women and girls and the broader Latinx community. The blog series features writing from escritoras (participants) and writing mentors from Somos Escritoras Latinx Writing Workshop. Published Latina authors, writers, poets, and illustrators who presented at our workshop also contributed to the blog series.