Elmer Vasquez
9/2/19
English Essay 1 Rough draft Topic 2

How Language Molds Your Life

The languages that you speak play a role in the way you express yourself. It’s the way that humans communicate with each other, different communities speak different languages and it brings them closer. They identify with that aspect of themselves and seek comfort in those who share that in common with them.

I am bilingual ,I speak two languages Spanish and English. Born in the Domnican Republic , I moved to NYC at the age of 2. I only spoke spanish at the time and I remember getting dropped off at daycare and not being able to communicate with any of the students. Even in elementary school it was difficult getting along with the other kids. I used to get into fights because I would see the kids laughing at me but I wouldn’t know why. When I finally made some friends the majority of them were native spanish speakers just like me. We were all in the englsih as a second language class together. A community was created of students who spoke spanish so they became friends. I believe that is supports my idea that language brings people together, because as a child with no understanding of how the world works I gravitated to people like me.

Being Domninican Is something that I am very proud of, I wouldn’t want to be anything else. Living in the States it’s easy to want to change who you are to try and conform to society around you. I often see people from all around the world who don’t identify with their cultures, and end up being whiite wash. They hate their cultures in hopes of being more like a group of society that will always see them for what they really are. Growing up in Harlem I was taught by

everyone In my neighborhood to take pride in being a Man of color. “ Black and proud “ they would say. I shouldn’t change who I am for anyone. When I learned to read it wasn’t with “Cat in the Hat “ instead we read books relevant to our lives, like “Tar Beach” by Faith Ringgold , “A chair for my mother” by Vera Williams, and “ Bigmama’s“ by Donald Crew. From an early age I saw myself in literature and that played a role in my development over the years.

Not everyone from bilingual family’s shares the experiences I do, some grew up like the author of “ Se Habla Espanol” Tanya Barrientos.