Edwin Negrete Ramos
Growing up with parents who are new to the United States, new to English, new to the culture, it definitely made it difficult to learn. I will always remember the struggle it took my parents to try to teacher me the content that I was being thought at school. For my parents it was like learning they’re primary language all over again, which is Spanish. They didn’t want to learn English to feel good, they wanted to learn English to teacher me and help me excel in school. Coming from a different country, it took a while for my parents to adjust, but they weren’t bothered, they just wanted to learn as soon as possible to help me as soon as possible.
Fast forward to a couple years later my parents can speak fluent English and understand it. Unlike when I was younger, them knowing English has helped my sister progress in school much more fluently. I always compare the struggle my parents went through learning English, to me in 8th grade when I entered a French class for the very first time. I was completely lost. My parents always did the best to make sure me and my siblings were doing they’re very best at whatever we did. I always find it inspiring that my parents did the very best they could to adjust for me and my siblings.
As i got older and older, I began to understand what my parents went through in order to understand English fluently. So everyday after school I always spent a certain amount of time teaching my parents words and phrases in English. At times they were frustrated, at times they were proud of themselves, but when I think of those moments, I think about progress. I know my parents were thankful, but I was thankful for them letting me help them.
Although they did not understand English fluently, many people viewed my parents as not good enough or incapable to do something, which obviously infuriated me. I don’t understand how people can view a person as lower class just because of their knowledge in a certain language, when they do not know their full story behind them. Every person has a story to tell. Until that story is told, that person is not fully known.
To this day, I will always be thankful for having such determined parents who only want the best for me and my siblings and the best for this family in general. We practiced, we laughed, we struggled, but now, my parents can speak common English everyday feeling much more comfortable
