Differentiating between two worlds

I can somehow relate to Lu's story about having a language of school and a language of home, however unlike her, knowing the difference between both wasn't a "tool of survival." To me, the ability to differentiate between languages is more related to being able to communicate.

When I was younger, everyone around me would only speak Spanish, it wasn't until I turned 8 that I started learning English and I felt many doors opened for me. I could now enjoy the music of my favorite bands, I started reading Harry Potter in English, I could do twice as many things. However, I could only do that in my own little word, at my house I had to speak Spanish.

As the years went by and I started practicing English even more, I started mixing both languages, something my dad has always mocked me for. That clear definition between my own little world and everyone else's started becoming blurrier and blurrier. I would sometimes be talking to a friend in English and all of a sudden I would say something in Spanish, or I would be talking to my family in Spanish and then start speaking English. Not only has this put me in awkward situations, but also this has diminished my communication skills.

When I first started learning English, I thought that learning the language would be the challenging part, however differentiating between both languages ended up being just as hard.

Cinco de Mayo

The spring semester is full of holidays: Valentine's day, where people show their love for their family, friends, and their partners; Easter, which marks the end of lent for Catholics, or a huge egg-hunt for kids; and Cinco de Mayo. How is the latter one celebrated? Well in a college setting in the U.S., it is common to hear about Mexican-themed parties, featuring Mexican food and drunk people. Even weeks before Cinco de Mayo actually happens, stores start marketing for it, and people start making plans on how to celebrate this important Mexican holiday.

However, how is this holiday actually celebrated in Mexico?

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo usually goes somewhat unnoticed. It is a very low-key celebration which might include a parade, but this mostly depends on the city or town, and said parade might get a quick segment on the news. Also, schools get the day off, but that's pretty much it.

So what does Cinco de Mayo actually celebrate? It celebrates the victory of the Mexican army against a French invasion prompted by the Mexican foreign debt. However, this tidbit of information is not well known. So how did this victory turn into the biggest Mexican celebration in the U.S. while in Mexico it's just another day off of school? With the increasing Mexican population and the rise of the Chicano movement, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans tried to find a way to cling to their roots and celebrate every little thing from their culture. Eventually, companies caught on and started turning the holiday into what is known today.

This shows how a group of people celebrating their heritage can become a commercialized holiday.