Me llamo Suzanna Bobadilla, pero no hablo muy bien…
“So even though you’re name is Suzanna Bobadilla and half of your family lives in Mexico, you’re not fluent?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s weird.”
“…Thanks?”
Despite over 7 years of Spanish classes, my father’s Mexican heritage, and my mother’s family’s deep attachment to Latin America (yes, her name is Raquel but she is white), the Spanish language continues to evade me. Direct and indirect object pronouns seem to be the bane of my existence and, more often than not, I find my tongue tripping clumsily over Spanish’s beautiful cadence. People speak about the consequences of Latino immigrants coming to the US and never learning English; I have experienced the opposite—still struggling with a language that would connect me to family, my inherited Mexican culture, and a global population. I hope my study abroad to Uruguay will act as a practical examination of my Spanish studies; without the presence of fluent family and friends, I will be tested on how well I can communicate in real-life settings. But unlike tests within the classroom, I will be able to implement a technique that has proven to be most effective. Smile big, smile often.
