October 10, 2007
By YOLANDA NATELLA
What does it mean to be Hispanic? It means to come from one of the nations that culturally derived from Spain, although the word "Latin" in the term "Latin America" relates back to those European countries and those languages which were originally settled by Rome and which therefore spoke Latin as a predominant language and which still speak languages that are derived from Latin.
The largest country in Latin America, Brazil, which was a colony of Portugal for hundreds of years, certainly would fall into this category as would French Guyana, yet Belize, formerly known as British Honduras, as well as British Guyana would not.
In those areas colonized by Spain, Spanish is spoken. Spanish is directly descended from Latin. It is spoken by some 400 million people in the world and it contains one of the richest and most varied literary traditions and therefore it is one of the world's most important languages. Many English words come from Spanish such as "aficionado," "canyon," "corral," "filibuster," among others.
In addition numerous indigenous non Latin-based languages are spoken south of the border as well.
But for me the essence of what it means to be Hispanic is not just what is mentioned above but it is what we carry in our hearts. To be Hispanic is to be proud of who you are, your roots, your ancestors and the civilizations that left us traditions; proud of a world to marvel at and the strength that helps us to never quit day after day when we go after a dream that strength that always keeps us going, that whispers in our ear "you can do it , you can do it no matter what."
It is the joy of having people around us, first and most importantly our family, those aunts, uncles, cousins who are always sharing moments with us, friends, that become the sisters and brothers that we choose besides the brothers and sisters that nature gives us our own families and to whom we are very loyal.
Friendship for us is sacred and it usually lasts a lifetime. It is a present that life gives you every day to make your existence better and richer.
We love people and we love to express our ideas and spend time with those who are most important to us. Also something that has a very special and great meaning for us is the land where we come from, our country of origin, and the city or town that we live in.
We have a great pride in them all and in the bonds which tie us to each other in our place of origin. We are proud of the natural beauty of our nations and we are disappointed by those who do not take the time to appreciate the richness of the traditions that have formed our lives nor our sensibility to the most beautiful aspects of those lives.
Those of us who come from the coast not only hear the music of the ocean and remember the silky touch of the sand in our feet and our hands and carry the images of those castles built feeling the sun in our bodies; it forms our lives and shapes the way we live.
Those of us who come from the mountains appreciate the majesty of nature in our part of the world.
It is our passion for life and sensitivity that shows in everything we do and in the way we think.
To be Hispanic is music. It is dance, art, traditions and color. It exists in the love that we feel for the beauty of the land, the sand, the oceans, in the flowers, plants and very old trees that are a joy to see and enjoy along with their special perfume.
It is butterflies, crickets, colorful birds and beautiful big animals too. We carry all this in our souls since before we are born. Our mothers, family and friends make us feel the greatest love of all when they share with us little secrets that make our spirit grow. It is the love that we show in our foods and in the softest touch and in our hugs.
IT IS LIFE AT ITS BEST.
We are passionate about being Hispanic. We are passionate about life.
Yolanda Natella, who was born and raised in Mexico City, is professor of Spanish at American International College in Springfield. One of her ancestors came to Mexico from Spain in the early 1700s. She is married to Arthur A. Natella, who chairs the modern language department at AIC. The couple has a son, Arthur Natella III, who graduated in May with a degree in political science from AIC. Yolanda Natella has written "A Magic Window Through Latin America," a book about Latin American culture, and is currently working on a second book, "Spanish for Teachers," with her husband and with Antoinette "Toni"" Spinelli-Nannen, professor of psychology at AIC with a doctorate in education.
Staff photo by MARK M. MURRAY Yolanda Natella, professor of Spanish at American International College in Springfield, poses in her campus office in front of a painting she did of Mexican painter Diego Rivera's "The Flower Carrier."
Source: massLive.com
