Summary and Personal Responses to Tanya Maria Barrientos’s “Se Habla Espanol”
English 115
July 13, 2014

In her essay “Se Habla Espanol” Tanya Maria Barrientos expresses her struggle of being a pure Latina who doesn’t speak Spanish. Being born in Guatemala, a Spanish speaking country, she and her family moved to the United States of America at three years old. (Barrientos, 2011) now living in Texas her parents made the decision that their children would cease speaking Spanish only to speak, read, and write English molding them into America’s Anglo culture.
Barrientos set out to defy the stereotypes being placed on brown people while at the same time believing them herself. She stated “To me, speaking Spanish translated into being poor. It meant waiting tables and cleaning hotel rooms.” (Barrientos) Not being seen as Mexican was a compliment in her eyes while not speaking Spanish equated to being white. Clearly she was not proud of her heritage and at the age of 16 in attempt to reverse the disdain for her culture Barrientos was sent to Mexico for the summer by her father. To her surprise pride emerged but created a new dilemma. How can you be a proud Latina and not speak Spanish? She set out to learn it.
After taking several Spanish classes she continued to feel laughable around native Spanish speakers. Not only did she struggle with the language but with the fact that she was now frowned upon as a Spanish woman who can’t speak the language. Barrientos eventually learned to speak Spanish and now proudly calls herself “Spanish Challenged and pura Latina.” (Barrientos)
The purpose of the descriptive essay “Se Habla Espanol” by Tanya Maria Barrientos was to express to her audience of minorities that it is ok to embrace your heritage in a world that sees you as different. Though her tone was that of frustration with herself for continuing to struggle with