I was born into a
bilingual world. My parents, following in the family tradition on both sides for
at least four generations, were a multicultural and multi-ethnic couple. My
mother, fluent in both English and Spanish, helped me reach that same level of
bilingualism.
My maternal
grandparents made sure I did not lose either language even as I immersed myself
in Spanish while living in Puerto
Rico.
I learned to read
and write both languages simultaneously, although my grandfather was more apt
to read to me in English and my grandmother in Spanish.
When I began to
write creatively I did so in Spanish mostly because it was the predominant
language and I found its nuances and vocabulary, its very mechanics, a natural
way to express my emotional state. Spanish is a very emotive language, as are
all Romance languages, and I was able to express my passion in its sweet
musicality.
As I got older, I
began to write in English as well. English, I found, was very versatile and
adaptive. Humor and sarcasm just sounded naturally snarkier in English.
The work I have
done in the last year towards my self-publishing enterprise was originally done
in English. It happens to be the language I use most and the fact that it is
internationally used across several continents makes my work very accessible to
a large number of potential readers.
But I owe a great
deal to Spanish, the Mother Tongue. I fell in love with storytelling and poetry
first in Spanish. Culturally, I define myself as Latina – except when forced to answer marketing
surveys and some days I choose Pacific Islander just for kicks.
Most of my friends,
though relatively to fully bilingual, are Spanish speakers. I wanted them to
read my work too! So I translated three off my e-books for them.
This expands my
market of potential readers and buyers. The first two efforts, especially
because I have not written in Spanish in years, were mostly literal
translations. The third was more poetic.
I still want to write
something in Spanish and, as I mentioned earlier, it cannot be something trite.
I want it to be meaningful.
The case for
bilingualism is simple. Spanish can afford me the opportunity to tweak the
essence of the work, the tonality of it. It may still include a dash of humor,
but it will involve a different voice. It expands the writer’s ability to
express ideas with a different emotional tenor.
More importantly,
some stories can be retold in many languages, but their true essence has a language
of its own. Therefore, when first written, each story must be told in the
language in which they were born. To deny the story this, is like denying a
good song a brilliant arrangement.
A story at its core
is unplugged; picking the right language in which to tell it makes it
symphonic. It’s a sketch compared to a painted canvas.
Now everyone is
lucky enough to share my multiculturalism, but I encourage all writers (and
readers as well) to learn a second language that speaks to their inner passions
because reading, writing and conversing in a second tongue gives the soul a
full orchestra (or a full palate with multiple tools) in which to experience
and express life.
And this is very
important: you should always be able to cuss in more than one language. It is
essential for every writer to be able to spew maledictions in as many colorful
ways as possible. It is a step towards sanity.
On any given day,
the ability to look up at the heavens and curse your own limitations can be
easily expressed thusly: “Dammit!” -- but there are some days when only this will
do: “¡Carajo!”
