CHICAGO (WLS) — Latinos come from many different countries, but they share a common language.
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Spanish may be the tie that binds, but its use in America is slowly dying from one generation to the next.
Chicago radio personality Paulina Roe is fighting to reverse that trend.
“I am a ‘no sabo’ mom, is what I call myself,” said Roe. “And I’m saying that, because I want to reclaim that term.”
“No Sabo” translates to “me don’t know” in Spanish. It’s more than a grammatical error; it symbolizes the insecurity felt by many second-generation American Latinos.
“I used to feel so ashamed and just so guilty,” said Roe. “And then I realized, this is who I am.”
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Paulina Roe is part of the Fred Show at 103.5 KISS FM, an iHeart radio station. Her mother is Polish, and her father is Mexican, yet she never learned to speak Spanish. Her story is far from unique.
DePaul University Professor Dr. Lourdes Torres co-wrote a book on Spanish in Chicago and how it often fades from one generation to the next.
“The United States is often called a graveyard for foreign languages, as languages other than English are not cultivated, encouraged, or supported here,” Torres explained.
Torres said shaming those who have lost the language is cruel.
“In reality, I believe we should be honoring those who have preserved their language instead of criticizing those who haven’t, as it’s truly heroic,” stated Torres.
Roe is trying to bring it back with her daughter GiGi.
“Now that I have a daughter, I am keen on passing down traditions so she feels connected to her culture earlier than I did,” Roe shared.
Roe said she is using the Spanish she learned in adulthood.
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“I may not speak Spanish fluently. I may not speak Spanish well. But, I think I am trying,” she said.
While her husband and his parents are fluent.
“I asked, ‘Can you speak Spanish to her?’ I don’t need it to be every word or sentence, just enough for her to become familiar with it,” Roe expressed.
Grandparents, according to Torres, can be the best way to preserve language from one generation to the next.
“The grandmother effect is everything. Grandma in the house, having a grandpa or people who are first-generation speakers who only speak that language in the household with you. That’s the best way to maintain your language,” said Torres.
And as little Gigi learns to communicate and count in multiple languages – it appears the plan is working.
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