Growing up Bilingual

I've become a stranger; I don't even know myself anymore. To friends I'm Adriana and to my family Adriana. Within one body, I've became two different persons, but similar at the same time. Growing up bilingual has opened many opportunities for me, but it has also changed me as a person and how other perceive me.

Growing up bilingual has been beneficial. Throughout my life I've been able communicate with people from around the world and understand them. Since I was a little kid I've always being taught that communication is the key to be successful in life. When growing up many of us believe that we don't need our Spanish or English classes, but we do. This classes teaches us how to communicate and understand the people around us. By simply being able to speak and understand two languages, it can open many work opportunities in our life time. This can also be a door to a better life and being able to communicate with different people around us.

Although being able to communicate with people is quite useful, it has changed me. As I'm originally Hispanic, many expect me to be able to speak Spanish perfectly. They have put me in stereotypical section, they expect me to be like all Hispanic food and be able to cook it. When growing up I've always tried to fit in with people, I've tried to be able to be like the rest. Being able to fit with others have been quite troubling. When I'm home, with my parents, they think of me as an American citizen for my ability to speak and understand the English language. While I'm at school, I'm no different from any other Hispanic family. In the social spaces, they think of me as an individual who knows all the Hispanic or Mexican culture, when in reality I don't.

All of this started in my second-grade class. It was a typical day for me, like always I finished my work and asked to got to the restroom, this time it was different. That time when I asked if "I may go to the restroom", the teacher didn't answer with a "yeah, sure" this time she said "you live in America, and here we speak English, so unless you start talking in English, I won't let you go". When this happened, I was a little kid and I didn't know best, I was terrified of the teacher at that age, and did whatever she told me to do. After that day, I've always spoke English and was forcefully introduced to the American culture.

After that second-grade event, I've spoken English and learned to communicate with other type of people, but like I've mentioned before this changed my life in many ways. To society I look as one person, but inside I'm two different persons, two different individuals that are in search for somewhere to fit in. Ever since that day, I've been divided into two different culture and at the end of the day I don't belong to neither.