The work below was previously submitted to a Central American Studies 115 – Approaches to University Writing course at CSUN.
Central American Identity, Culture, and Language
In “Visibly Hidden: Language, Culture and Identity of Central Americans in Los Angeles,” by Magaly Lavadenz, it explains how certain aspects of Central American culture and identity changed over time in Los Angeles. Lavadenz looks into how language forms Central American immigrants’ experiences, helping connect their former and current worlds. She also explores how Central American children of immigrants face a disconnect to their culture and their sense of self. Whether it was the way they spoke Spanish or how they felt they had to identify, Central Americans had to adapt to a completely new environment with different customs. Lavadenz believes all of this history is “inadequately addressed in teacher preparation and professional development across the United States” (1).
Language is an important aspect of one’s sense of self and culture. Oftentimes, when bilingual speakers encounter “more ‘socially powerful groups’,” monolingualism is the end result. Coming into contact with English played a role in code switching “among Spanish speakers in Los Angeles” (5), and the differences between all of the variations of Spanish and English found in Los Angeles become less noticeable over time. Because there was a “dominant regional variety of Spanish in Los Angeles” (5), Central American Spanish changed to become more like it. For example, in Salvadoran Spanish, “casamiento” is rice and beans; in Salvadoran Spanish in Los Angeles, you would say “Arroz y frijoles,” which is how you would say it in Mexican Spanish. Central Americans also had to hide their countries of origin from others out of fear of being deported back to Central America, which left the children of some of these immigrants unclear about their culture, language, and identity. This tough choice showcases the extreme difficulties Central American immigrant children faced as they learned to adjust to American society, all while being aware that they may be torn away from their homes and sent back to a place they don’t know much about. Still, “parents stressed the importance of teaching their children to understand the importance of being Salvadoran or Guatemalan and Americans” (7). These Central American immigrant families are ensuring their children are “socialized both culturally and linguistically to understand their histories” (7). Lavadenz believes including students’ cultures into the educational programs is an important step to take in fighting the clear “invisibility of Central Americans in our schools” (9). Now whether this change will be made and its effects is yet to be seen.