LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  LATINO / HISPANIC / SPANIARD El término latino se emplea como si fuera una palabra inglesa: Latino women , Latino cooking (principalmente enchiladas). Es despectivo y engloba a todo “latinoamericano”, sea de origen europeo, maya, misquito, africano o azteca. En los Estado Unidos hoy el US Census Bureau divide a la población, a efectos de institucionalizar el prejuicio, racial y social, en muchas categorías: White ( Caucasian ), Black , Oriental , Hispanic , Latino … El desdén racial en los Estados Unidos no ha desaparecido, aunque hayan tenido un presidente negro y el prejuicio de los blancos sigue más vivito y coleando que en el siglo XIX o XX. Por eso es importante, cuando se viaja a los EE.UU., explicar que uno es un Spaniard , que ellos identifican con España, en vez de Spanish , que engloba a Hispanics y Latinos. El trato será diferente, aunque parezca mentira, y por mucha pena que nos cause. A los Spaniards no los consideran una amenaza. Si naces en Florida, por e...

  Porky Pig asks Daffy Duck, “Are you ready?” and Daffy retorts, “I was born ready.” If Daffy Duck had been born Hispanic, he would have answered: “Almost. But wait, I have to get my hat, or make a call, or get some papers, or grab a bite to eat…” to delay going, working, finishing something off, or whatever. Spaniards were not born ready; they are never prepared, especially in language learning, their "asignatura pendiente." Spanish indeed has a proverb, a  refrán , that says, “No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy”—do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Alas, this proverb is a carryover from the Romans, who had it in Latin as  ne in cranium, quod possis hodie , long before the Spanish language came into being. It did not affect the minds of the inhabitants of the Peninsula, who developed contrary attitudes. “Ya lo sé” is a ready-made expression or phrase that you will hear from the mouths of Spaniards constantly. Their self-confidence knows no limit...