Always be proud of who you are and where you came from.
Yesterday I took my family to look at a used car. We’d found a rusted out “beater with a heater” on Craigslist which I thought could be used for picking up my children from school. After a quick test drive, I turned to consult my wife in Spanish. After a few words, I turned back to the man who was selling the car.
“Now there’s a skill I wish I had,” he said kindly. “I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish. I tried Rosetta stone and a bunch of other classes, but I just can’t seem to pick it up.”
We shared a couple more trivialities, but it wasn’t until later that I realized what a remarkable exchange that was. It’s becoming more and more common for people to feel provoked simply by the sound of Spanish, so it’s good to point out when you have an interaction with a person who displays an admirable attitude.
In 2016, I wrote an article for the local paper titled “Speaking Spanish in America” dealing with how people have recently come to object when I speak in Spanish publicly. In one of those quirks of fate, the internet grabbed hold and the story ignited. I began to receive emails, texts, and Facebook messages expressing solidarity with my position, first from friends, then from random people I’d never met. The article’s reach widened even…