They Didn't Speak the Language ~ Vida Bonita

During the Super Bowl Coca-Cola put out a commercial (that you can watch here) where the song America the Beautiful was played in several languages (including English). I was sitting there blogging, pretty uninterested in the game but this one caught my attention. I thought it was pretty cool and a neat approach considering the melting pot of cultures that are in this country. America the Beautiful is also probably my most favorite patriotic song. It makes me think of the Sandlot and no one can really sing it like Ray Charles.
I didn't really think much more about it as I was blogging and anticipating that adorable Budweiser commercial with the puppy and the Clydesdale (you can watch it here). Then I got on Facebook and my attention was grabbed. People were genuinely pissed that America the Beautiful was in a combination of languages, which meant that they weren't all English. How is it that the same people can argue "How dare other cultures NOT love AMERICA!" and then last night it seemed like they were saying "How dare other cultures love AMERICA!" What? If you don't speak English you can't love America?
And who says to be in America you have to speak English? Who made this rule? This has me thinking about two stories of the language barrier that have influenced my life in very powerful ways, and certainly shapes my position on this topic.

Story 1: The Tale of Maria

When I was getting my Master's at OSU I worked at OSU-Tulsa in the speech-language and hearing clinic. Early on at my job I met Maria. Maria was the housekeeper for the floor that we were on. Poor Maria had a terrible time in our office because sometimes she needed to communicate about an issue and the people that had worked there thus far weren't getting anywhere. She could say basic terms, but sometimes issues fell outside of her English knowledge. Well I had just graduated and had completed a minor in Spanish. I was rusty but I knew enough that we could get by. I don't think I will ever forget her face, that look of gratitude when she realized that I could talk to her. Over time Maria and I became friends. She helped me improve my Spanish with extreme patience. She invited Christen (a friend of mine and a student in the clinic) to what I called "Mexican Thanksgiving" which was an awesome lunch all of the housekeepers put together for Thanksgiving. To be clear, "Mexican Thanksgiving" is not a racist misnomer. Everyone that hosted the party was indeed from Mexico and they made traditional authentic Mexican dishes for the meal that were to die for. I later learned that very few people get invited to this event but everyone in the building wishes they could.
That year for Christmas I made Maria a card and wrote a long note all in [less than awesome] Spanish and I made her a gift pack from Bath & Body Works . She had told me a few weeks prior that her family couldn't afford to buy Christmas presents that year. She made me home made tamales as a gift to me. They were delicious.
After two years it was time for me to put in my notice. I was graduating in two days and then getting married two weeks later. On my last day she came by holding a big box. As a wedding gift she had bought us a griddle which was extremely moving because I knew she didn't have the extra money to do such a thing, and it was just so damn thoughtful. Several people I have known for years didn't give us so much as a greeting card of "congratulations" and this beautiful woman found it in her heart to bestow so much generosity on us. My supervisor didn't even say "thanks for two years, best wishes"--she never even acknowledged that I was graduating and getting married. Maria and I had a very heartfelt goodbye, she gave me a kiss on the cheek, and she told me that she loved me. I will never forget about Maria. I have no idea what brought her to the States, which I am pretty sure occurred much later in her life and took her away from the place she had for so long called home. Maybe she heard the song America the Beautiful and dreamed of a better place for herself and her family. I never once thought to myself that Maria needed to learn our language or ship out. She was here legally and worked at a job that many traditional citizens would think they were too good for. And the language barrier is what brought us together as friends, a friendship that I am truly grateful for. A friendship that has changed me as a person and taught me important lessons in compassion.

Story 2: The Tale of Shanna

I don't know about you, but I have had the wonderful pleasure of leaving the country several times. I have found a way save my pennies since I was 19 to travel to several countries. I have taken the time to pursue a minor in Spanish so at the peaks and valleys of my Spanish knowledge I probably range from a 4-9 year old speaking level. How big of me.
I did a study abroad for 5 weeks in Costa Rica in 2007. This was an incredible experience and allowed me to begin the path to cultural immersion. On several occasions I would talk to peers that were also on the trip and mention how grateful I was for the Costa Rican people to be so patient with us because it would be so nerve wracking to try to get around if people wouldn't repeat things or seemed irritated because of our language limitations. Some people would even speak English for us when they could. The host family I stayed with was completely lovely. They all spoke English but also wanted to encourage me to use my Spanish so I would learn. I can remember several dinners where we would speak English together and I got to learn more in-depth stories of their family that would have been difficult for me to comprehend in Spanish. I kept a travel journal while I was down there. I was reading it recently and I was reminded of a really cool experience that I had. I would walk about a kilometer to our classes every day. There was a man that was a security guard along the way that stood outside a property. Over time I made a friendship with this man. We made small talk for a minute or so every other day. He told me about his family and young son that he spoke so proudly of. I loved that I could walk to school and have a conversation with a friendly person who was so patient with me.
The entire experience blessed my life in a very important way. I was able to embrace another culture. They have a very different way of life which is highly based on taking time to appreciate the moment that you're in. I try to reflect back on this from time to time. Life just goes by so fast.
My travels have played a very important role in my life. They often motivate my work because I feel like if I work hard I can always look forward to that next trip. How much less variety and experience would I have in life if I needed to be fluent in every language of the country I was visiting. Seriously, Italy-Out. Greece- Out. Costa Rica- Out. Mexico-Out. I still have no idea what language they speak in Croatia and Malta--I know that they made huge concessions in the language department on my behalf though.

There's something to be said for embracing the culture of the place you're visiting because everyone on the whole planet should not have to conform to our language (unbelievable, I know). The notion that everyone in America has to speak English is silly. Do you realize how many different places each of us come from? Being purist is nonsense. I am English, Irish, German, and Native American. I only know about 20 words in German and 10 of them are inappropriate. Oh, Native American, the originators in America. Well I know about three words in Cherokee. Get what I am saying? I honestly think that many people who had such a quick reaction to the commercial didn't really think before they spoke. It was unique to hear such an iconic song in other languages. As far as I am concerned, if you love America like I do, I don't care what language you say it in.