When Kathryna González, 32, He realized he was losing the ability to speak Spanish fluently.did what any millennial would do. She turned to TikTok to see who else felt like her, not knowing that the video she uploaded in October of last year would help her create what is now known as The Spanglish Social Membership.
“I needed a space like this and it has become a space free of judgment and for people of all levels,” says González.
A membership that has helped her and other women in Los Angeles reconnect with their roots and practice their Spanish without prejudices nor the insults that often accompany those who do not speak the language fluently.
According to Pew Compare Heart, nearly two-thirds (65%) of third-generation or later Latinos say they cannot maintain a fluent conversation in Spanish. While 63% claim to speak “Spanglish”, a mixture of Spanish and English. And they often feel shy or embarrassed trying to speak Spanish, something people don’t have to worry about when attending González’s sessions.
“That was the most important thing for me because I think sometimes we are afraid to practice or speak in Spanish, especially when we were born here,” González says. “And having this space where we can practice and make mistakes is special.”
When conversations at home are lost
The idea came about after González moved from his childhood home in New York, where he grew up with his Ecuadorian mother and Puerto Rican father. Growing up in a home where Spanish was spoken daily.
After moving to Los Angeles in 2019, she realized she was no longer having the everyday conversations she used to have. at home, which began to affect his ability to speak Spanish as before. Now he speaks more “Spanglish” than Spanish.
“At home is where Spanish is spoken, so when I moved, that stopped and I realized, after uploading the video, that I wasn’t the only one going through something similar,” says González, who is a first-generation Latina. “When I lived in New York, I had many opportunities to practice my Spanish, but now I have to find and create those spaces here, and I did.”
On Sunday, around 26 women of all ages and backgrounds entered the Lincoln Heights salon and chatted casually in Spanishasking questions such as what their hobbies were or their favorite music; some were regular participants, while others were attending for the first time.
For Yoselina Gómez it was her first time attending the session; She attended alone and said she did it for her daughter, who does not speak Spanish. He says that, unfortunately, after his mother passed away a few years ago, he began to lose his command of Spanish.
“She was the popular reason I spoke Spanish at home; now I don’t have it anymore, so my daughter doesn’t speak it either,” says Gómez. “AND There is a lot of shame among second generation Latinos and other people who do not speak Spanish fluently.but that is not the case here.”
“Today it was very difficult for me to say some words, but no one here made me feel bad. On the contrary, I felt more encouraged to try again,” she added.
In itself, she and her 9-year-old daughter are not alone. The percentage of Latinos who speak Spanish at home fell from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2024, a figure that is mainly due to people born in the United States. Or for reasons like those of Gómez, where The parents or grandparents who started those talks have died..
“She is the reason I am here; my only goal is to reconnect with our roots,” says Gómez. “For us, as Latinos, it is important to be able to communicate with our people. So I want my daughter to feel comfortable and confident speaking it, but I need to learn and improve my Spanish first.”
If you are ashamed of your Spanish, this space is for you
Each activity has a different theme; Some have been done in local cafes, such as Pilates classes in Spanish, and even excursions have been organized in which Spanish is practiced in a more social way. And, like Sunday, There are also sessions that include dance classes in Spanishl.
“I think we need social environments, especially right now, where everyone is glued to their cell phones; we need to move, learn and be in contact with others,” González says. “I am not a Spanish teacher, but there is a social component to learning a language and I think this group allows you to immerse yourself in the culture, where you can learn outside of a same outdated class”.
The event that Sunday began with the group of women gathering in a circle. Each one held a card from the educational game “I Know”, which consists of guessing the translation of a word.
“How do you say ‘socks’?” reads one of them; “stockings,” some respond; “socks,” others say. Demonstrating how there can be different ways to translate a word and how it can have a different meaning in other countries.
After the meeting, they divided into pairs to participate in a “social scuttle,” where they could practice introducing themselves to people they were meeting for the first time and having a brief conversation.
Among them was Elisa Vázquez; It was his fifth session he had attended since he had found the club on social media. She says that She is from the generation that did not grow up speaking Spanish, which is why now, as an adult, she is trying.
“As a ‘I don’t know’, it is very strange for me to reach this age and not have any linguistic link with my culture, that is why I am here,” says Vázquez.
“Plus, it has been a fun and very realistic way to learn.”
Clarissa Calderón says she grew up speaking Spanish, but like González, she has lost her ability to do so fluently as her daily interactions in English have increased. She attended the event after learning about the membership in the digital publication Mitu.
“This is a great space where women encourage each other and it is helping me a lot,” says Calderón. “I think a lot of us feel like we’re not Latin enough because we’re not fluent, but we shouldn’t feel that way.”because that does not mean that we are still proud of our culture.”
Joining the club is very easy: you don’t have to pay anything and you just have to fill out a document that you will find in González’s Instagram link and that’s it. Your weekly events can be both in-person and virtual.
“We are all learning, so if you are nervous, embarrassed or feel that your Spanish is not perfect, this space is for you,” says González.. “The most important thing to know when coming to these events is that no one will judge you.”
For more information, follow @thespanglishclub on Instagram and TikTok.
Note produced under the California Local News Fellowship program at the University of Berkeley.
