“Are you a Mexican or a Mexican’t?”
This is a question my dad often jokingly asks me, to which I sarcastically respond, “Definitely a Mexican’t.”
I am allergic to guacamole, cannot handle spicy foods and I do not speak even a tiny bit of Spanish. No hable español?
Therefore, I have earned the label of a no sabo kid. Sure, it is usually used as an insult to say, “you aren’t really Hispanic, you don’t speak Spanish,” but I carry the badge with honor. In fact, the first time I was called a “no sabo kid” was from one of my friends freshman year who asked me to tutor him in Spanish — in Spanish. Here is how that conversation went:
“¿Puedes ayudarme con mi clase de español?” (Can you help me with my Spanish class?)
“Huh?”
“¿Puedes ayudarme con mi clase de español?”
He asked me around three more times before he realized that I really did not know Spanish and proceeded to call me a “no sabo kid” (thanks Daniel).
Back in the 1970s and 80s, many Hispanic parents did not teach their children to speak Spanish because they were afraid their children would develop accents and face discrimination. This is the exact case for my dad. He told me with a last name like De Santiago, Spanish teachers would assume I already knew the language, so when it came time to pick my language course for high school in eighth grade, I knew just which language to pick: Chinese.
I remember my counselor looking at me for a bit before he said, “well, nǐ hǎo then.”
I also remember the skeptical look on my mom’s face when I came home that day and told her my decision. She offered to help with Spanish. She speaks more Spanish than my dad, even though she does not have Hispanic roots. To say the least, she was not happy that I chose the hardest language offered at Coppell High School.
However, Chinese is one of my favorite classes in high school. Majority of the people in my class already knew Mandarin or were related to people who spoke and I found myself in another no sabo type of situation. But, despite not knowing Mandarin, I connected with classmates and sometimes my confusion was something we could all laugh about.
To this day, I know more Mandarin than Spanish. I even know how to say “Mexican” in Mandarin: Mòxīgē rén.
Language is such a funny thing that divides us. I used to be more insecure about not knowing my mother tongue, but I think it is something that makes for a funny conversation starter.
I have learned that being able to make fun of myself is my greatest strength in life. I fully embrace my culture. Even though I do not know the language, I am still able to feel connected to my Mexican side. To all my fellow no sabo kids, do not focus too much on your inability to speak Spanish.
Be proud of your roots, even if you are a Mexican’t.
Follow Elizabeth (@LizzieDeSanti_) and @CHSCampusNews on X.
