Opinion
Hispanic Studies Department unwelcoming to native speakers
By Amanda Hernandez ’17
February 23, 2017
Tags opinion
Every time I am asked what I’m majoring in and I respond with “Hispanic Studies,” I get the “Really?” look or “But don’t you already speak Spanish?” question. These skeptical responses always get to me because of their senseless implication. Can’t someone that speaks English major in English?
There are many misconceptions about the Hispanic Studies Department. Most non-native speakers think of the Department as entirely language-based; they imagine a concentration where one learns how to speak Spanish and picks up a thing or two about Hispanic culture along the way. In other words, they assume that a Hispanic Studies major focuses solely on learning how to speak the language (which explains the confusion I’m met with everytime I tell someone my major). Why would a native-speaker need to learn more Spanish? This perception of the Hispanic Studies Department neglects one of the Department’s fundamental goals: to “foster an appreciation for the heritage and culture of Spanish-speaking peoples.” Native speakers who join the department are not trying to get an easy A; they want to develop a mature understanding of the rich cultures and histories of Hispanic countries.
Students already fluent in Spanish face a unique set of challenges within the concentration. Native speakers, after taking a few classes, often decide to stop taking courses in the department. We enter the department expecting to study Hispanic culture and (in my case, at least) to learn more about our own heritage, yet we are confronted with a fully Spain-centric curriculum.
As a Latina, course selection within the Department is discouraging. Spain is an undeniably important facet of Hispanic studies, as it is the foundation of our language and perhaps even our culture after the colonization of our people. However, a department called “Hispanic Studies” should certainly include more courses that explore other Hispanic cultures. Yes, Spaniards are Hispanics, but by promoting a Spain-centric curriculum we are largely disregarding the Latin American population and depriving some students of our identities in the process.
In the department’s defense, there are some courses that include material on Cuban and Argentinian cultures. However, the depth of the discussion surrounding these countries is nowhere near that of the Spanish material. Furthermore, other countries like Mexico do not get nearly enough attention. The social-political statuses or movements occurring in other Central and South American countries are simply not discussed. Obviously, the department doesn’t have professors from every Latin American country, which means the Hispanic cultures without a standard bearer at the College are essentially ignored. Given the lack of diversity in the specialty of the professors, I do not blame my fellow Hispanics when they complain that the department caters to the Spanish culture and is designed mainly to attract non-native speakers.
This issue is seen in other aspects of the department as well. There are rarely Hispanics in leadership positions such as in TA positions, regardless of their qualifications. In the spring semester of 2016, I applied to be a TA, and so did a Mexican international student (whose academic language is Spanish) and we were both denied the position. Does the department fear that putting such students in these leadership positions will discourage non-native speakers from approaching the concentration? It’s true that we do have an advantage over non-native speakers, and while this does not make us better, it is also not fair that is counted against us. In fact, many native-speakers have complained to me that they have been treated differently or graded harder when taking courses in the department.
My relationship with the Hispanic Studies Department has thus been a bitter-sweet one. Of course, I love my language and have learned a lot about Spain, its politics, its culture and its literature. However, I would have loved to graduate from Hamilton with the same profound knowledge about other Spanish-speaking countries. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.
Studying abroad in Latin America also would have been a great way to get this knowledge. However, the department does not as readily accept credits from courses abroad in Latin America as compared to the smooth transfer of credits from the Spain Program. This gives the impression that the Latin American education is not as valuable as an education in Spain. Spain therefore becomes the favored option, resulting in students like myself choosing to study abroad in that country. I don’t want to discredit the experience, which was incredible and something I will be forever grateful for, but the underlying intent remains.
Being a native speaker was an issue even while abroad. Although I was not the first native-speaker to be part of the program in the many years it has existed, it seemed as though I posed a challenge to the professors and their curriculum. After taking the placement exam for the “mandatory” grammar course, I was placed in the most advanced course, which was understandable. However, on the first day of class I was kicked out of the course because “I spoke Spanish, and it was a waste of time for me to be in the course.” I felt profiled; I had not yet spoken a word in the class and the professor automatically assumed my language skills. Secondly, I felt personally attacked because I was not the only native-speaker in the course, yet I was the only one not allowed to stay. I instead got a personal tutor with whom I met once a week to learn grammar, because while Spanish is my first language I was never taught its grammar.
It was difficult for me. I knew I wasn’t the first native-speaker to ever go through the program, and also not the only one during that semester, yet I was the only one to get thrown out of a course for speaking the language. Despite all of this, I decided to change my major to Hispanic Studies while abroad and to stay one more semester, mainly because I love my language and I aspire to be an immigration attorney, which requires the ability to speak in Spanish as well as I do in English.
Although I have met wonderful professors and have learned a great deal in the Hispanic Studies Department’s courses, I sometimes wonder if my experience would have been different if I wasn’t a native speaker. Nevertheless, I still proudly say I am a Hispanic Studies major and can only hope that the department becomes more inclusive in the future so that native-speakers feel welcomed to explore their identities grounded in different Hispanic cultures.