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Personal Narrative-If I Don T Speak Spanish

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Growing up in a Puerto Rican American household, Spanish speaking was mainly done between my grandparents and parents. Both of my parents were born here in Chicago, but they were around the language and picked it up growing up having parents that had migrated from Puerto Rico. Having a common Hispanic last name, I feel like I have the expectancy to know Spanish and to be able to translate to other Hispanic, non-English speakers. This didn’t really bother me until I got to high school. I would get questions and comments like, “How are you even Hispanic if you don’t speak Spanish?”, or “but your last name is Rodriguez”, and things along those lines. When I would see people speaking Spanish who weren’t even of a Hispanic descent, it really bothered …show more content…
Growing up, I had teachers that truly engraved in me the love for writing; from creative writing, to narratives, to persuasive, it was the one subject I felt I could tolerate and actually enjoyed doing at the same time. I believe expressing ones thoughts and feelings not only clearly but grammatically is fundamental. Good writing habits start when you’re young, and an appreciation for it has to do with my appreciation for reading. Though, I can remember as a young kid feeling dumb when I didn’t understand a word in a book, so I would just continue on in hopes it’ll all make sense at the end of the chapter. If I could go back and correct my high school self, I would, because I’ve learned that having a vast array of vocabulary is so essential in college and any future career. Not only does it make you sound keener, but you don’t have to hope the book you’re reading will eventually come together and make sense at the end. Knowledge is never being afraid to stop learning, and even as a college student I come across words that I am unsure of.
I will never forget my freshman English professor telling the class, “Communication through writing is such a reflection of who you are, and it sadly puts a judgment on how intelligent you are”, this has stuck with me since. And I agree that it is a reflection on one’s competence. When you put your name on that paper, it is stamped with your brain and your academic history

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