Many second and third-generation Hispanics do no speak Spanish.
"As the generations pass, many Hispanics lose their Spanish and I'm definitely an example of that," said Amanda Marquez, a junior in international studies and student associate for Hispanic student services at Ohio State.
Speaking Spanish is a way for Hispanics to stay connected to their culture. However, the trend among Latino groups is a decrease in language proficiency as generations pass, according to a recent study. Those who do not speak Spanish have found other means to keep in touch with their roots.
According to a study conducted at the University of California-Irvine and Princeton University, the retention rate of fluent Spanish in third-generation Mexicans is only 17 percent, which drops to 5 percent in the fourth generation. This trend can be seen in other Spanish-speaking groups as well.
There are many theories as to why this occurs. Robert Robison, program manager of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at OSU, said it has to do with fear of discrimination and prejudice.
"A lot of young people from Spanish-speaking countries are too far removed from their native tongue to need to know how to speak it," he said. "Their parents might choose not to teach them Spanish because they don't want their kids to feel different."
Learning a language helps people from various ethnic backgrounds learn and understand different cultures. At OSU, the Spanish department has incorporated cultural studies into the curriculum, making sure students leave Spanish 104 with more than a basic understanding of the Spanish language.
"Language and culture are intertwined," Robison said. "We want our students to learn about the Spanish-speaking world and be able to compare it to their own culture. We want them see how things are different and know that that's OK."
Marquez said her mother spoke to her in Spanish until she started kindergarten and stopped because she knew the difficulties of not knowing English in a predominantly English community.
"My mom came to Ohio not being able to understand English well, and she knew it was difficult trying to learn the language," she said.
Marquez takes courses at OSU to help develop her Spanish. She said not speaking Spanish can be an obstacle to staying connected, but there are many traditions and aspects of her culture that help her find a sense of cultural identity.
"I think Hispanic culture is predominantly based on the family, where food, dance and music are really important," she said.
Javier Baez, a junior in biology and member of Puerto Rican Student Association, said speaking Spanish and English is a way for him to take part in both the Puerto Rican and the American ways of life. Like Marquez, he also said dance is an important Latino tradition.
"I try to go out as often as I can to go salsa dancing. I think in general dance is a form of expression and a form of cultural identity that unifies a group of people," he said.
Being able to communicate and relate to his family is another advantage to speaking Spanish, Baez said.
"Knowing the language allows me to connect and talk with my family more," he said. "I can better understand what they're going through in some circumstances."
Hannah Tyler can be reached at tyler.94@osu.edu.
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