ESL: Erased, Silenced, Labeled

• In Event: Critical and Embodied Literacies: Narrations of Unforgetting by Intergenerational Women of Color

Abstract

“*name, Isimar, Crismel, and Jake: Ms.___ is here”. Ms.___ takes us to a small table outside and shows us images with words. Ms.__ says “This is a bit hard but does anyone know what this is?” We all look at each other and giggle because we assumed it was a trick question. I confidently proceeded to raise my hand and say “Island???”. Ms. __ says, “Very good” and continues for another 30 minutes, navigating a language that was both foreign and familiar. Foreign because it was never ours and familiar because we spoke it daily.
As a young Mexican-American girl, I translated documents, report cards, mail, etc that were written in Inglés as best as I could to my mamá who only understood Español. At school, I was given a permission slip and told to inform my mamá that it was a good thing. Once I told her, she didn’t hesitate to sign it as she always wanted me to excel. The permission slip was for ESL (also known as English Second Language). In retrospect, ESL made me realize that assumptions about language proficiency were often tied to the color of our skin. Within the education system, it was often assumed I could not speak Inglés “properly” or at all. It left me wondering, “How could they assume that of me when I had been translating “adult words” as a young child? I realized that I was taught to downplay my abilities, leaving me confused.
My freshmen year at *university, I took an Education course, (The American School), with *name of professor*. I felt seen, like a whole new world opened up, new perspectives and truths were revealed. This course made me think about my experiences involving the English language and I began to understand how race and language could define who belonged and who needed “help.” I navigated and continue to navigate systems that didn’t/don’t reflect my identity or truth. What seemed like a simple vocabulary lesson was actually an introduction to navigating identity, power, and resistance within institutional structures.
How many more children are being mislabeled and underestimated because of the native language that they speak and skin they’re in? Whose knowledge is undervalued?

Author

• Amanda Escalona, Colgate University