Summary and Personal Response to Tanya Barrientos’s “ Se Habla Espanol”
Honey Jupiter
Strayer University
English 115
Professor Charles Bretan
01/15/15

Abstract
This essay “Se Habla Espanol” by Tanya Barrientos really expresses her struggle with being a Latino who does not speak Spanish. Barrientos was born in Guatemala. At the age of 3, her family moved to the United States. When Barrientos got to the States, she immediately stopped speaking Spanish. Now living in Texas, her parents decided that she could only speak, read, and write English.
Barrientos made it a point to fit in with Americans. She hated didn’t like being called Mexican and hated what it seemed to mean to her. She stated, “To me, speaking Spanish translated into being poor. It meant waiting tables and cleaning hotel rooms.” (Barrientos) Barrientos saw it as a compliment not be considered Mexican. Her father wanted to show her that Mexican culture is beautiful and she should be proud of her heritage. Barrientos father sent her to Mexico for the summer in hopes that she would learn to be proud of being called Mexican. Surprisingly, her pride emerged and she wanted to learn to speak Spanish.
Over the next couple of decades, the worlds’ view toward different cultures changed. It was okay to be of a different race. No one was associating Mexicans with just being waiters or housekeepers. Barrientos started taking classes, listening to tapes, and even hired a tutor. She even asked her parents to only speak Spanish to her in an effort to learn the language. Barrientos learned to speak Spanish, but not enough to feel genuine. Barrientos call herself “Spanish Challenged and pura Latina.” (Barrientos)
The purpose of the essay “Se Habla Espanol” by Tanya Barrentos was to how she felt and struggled with being pure Latina and not being able to speak Spanish fluently. research