By Katia López-Hodoyán
Karla Duarte is a bilingual parent. When she wakes up in the morning, her day starts off in Spanish. She walks into her kids’ bedroom and tells her daughters it is time to get ready for school in Spanish. She then tells them to eat breakfast and brush their teeth and rush to the car, all in Spanish. Even while driving them to school in a San Diego suburb, it’s mostly Spanish language radio stations they listen to. But when she drops off her four and six-year-old daughters, Duarte automatically starts speaking in English and so do her daughters. It is a reality thousands of Hispanic families face across the nation: Trying to master the shaky balance of embracing Spanish while also learning English properly.
“When my daughters are at school, at the park or just walking around, they don’t really hear Spanish all that often,” says Duarte. “On a day to day basis, English is the predominant language they deal with, even if at home, my husband and I speak to them in Spanish.”
A new study suggests Duarte’s bilingual parenting style is on the decline.
According to a new Pew Research Study, a growing number of Hispanic kids and teenagers only speak English at home. The study found that in 2014, 37 percent of Latinos ages 5 to 17 grew up in a household where only English is spoken. The number reflects a 7 percent increase when compared to the year 2000. The number is even higher with adults. The study shows that Latinos ages 18 to 33 who only speak English at home, or who speak it very well, rose from 59 to 76 percent.
The reason is quite simple. More Hispanics are being born in the United States and less Latinos are immigrating to the country.
When the study was released in April 2016, Mark Hugo Lopez, Director of Hispanic Research at the Pew Center told the LA Times: “We often think that immigrants are the main driver of the Hispanic population, but it’s actually U.S. born Hispanics who are the drivers.”
Historically speaking, this trend is not much of a surprise. U.S. immigration patterns indicate that most immigrant families prefer to speak their native language. When the second generation comes around, it’s usually bilingual, but the third generation speaks only English. It’s a pattern German and Italian immigrants also followed as they assimilated into American culture.
“I think it’s not about just learning English or Spanish for the sake of it,” explains Duarte, 35. “The language is embedded in the culture, so when they learn a new language it’s about more than just memorizing words. It’s also about identity.”
But the Pew Research study shows otherwise. While those taking part in the poll acknowledge the benefits of speaking Spanish, 71 percent believe it’s not a defining factor in being considered Latino. Apparently, the majority thinks it’s a plus, but not a deal breaker.
In border states like California, it may be somewhat easier to keep Spanish alive among Latino households. Even so, speaking the language with relatives ever so often, isn’t enough for U.S. born Latinos to feel completely comfortable with the language.
“When my kids start reading, I’m going to introduce audiobooks in Spanish,” says Duarte. “That’s the only way I can maintain and improve their level of Spanish. They respond to their grandmother in Spanish, but the reality is they were born in the United States, they go to school here and they live here.”
Another challenge in maintaining a bilingual household, is marriage. When a bilingual person marries a monolingual spouse, English usually takes precedence. Children may understand their bilingual parent when he or she asks a question in Spanish, but more often than not, their response is in English. The study shows the younger generation may understand Spanish, but it prefers to speak in English.
“English is a very practical language,” explains Duarte. “I see this with a friend of mine. She’s bilingual and her husband isn’t. Even when she’s alone with her child, she will speak to him in English. I don’t think she even realizes it. It just happens.”
While there are countless advantages to being bilingual, on both a personal and professional level, Duarte says it’s a double edged sword. The benefits are always highlighted, but the downside is often ignored.
“I speak English and I speak Spanish, but I don’t master either one of these languages,” says Duarte. “I catch myself making up words, mixing both languages, or always asking: ‘What’s that word again?’”
With all the highs and lows of being bilingual, the study shows how the profile of Latinos in the United States is shifting. The Hispanic population is going through a linguistic transition-one word at a time.