Embracing Literacies, Valuing Differences
Cozza, Vanessa (2009-05-28) 

>>VANESSA: I guess my memory about literacy goes back to when I was a child in elementary school. My family is Argentinian Italian and my first language is Spanish.  So I grew up speaking Spanish with my brothers and my parents and then when I started school I remember, I think I was in second grade, it's kind of a blurry memory but I do remember this happening to me, I was having trouble learning how to speak English and how to write English, and reading too.  So my teacher, I think it was my second grade teacher and I don't remember her name, I think it was Mrs. Sweety, but she said to me, said to me and my parents, you have to stop speaking to her in Spanish and only speak to her in English because she's never going to learn English.

So, I guess my parents didn't take her advice because as of today I know both languages.  But I thought of this the other day when I was thinking about what I was going to say for this, but I do remember my mom telling me that one day, after they said this, they called me from the classroom to the office and they wanted me to translate in Spanish for a student who didn't speak English, so it's kind of ironic.

So, I guess all through my elementary school I never got any encouragement as far as learning how to speak English or as far as being bilingual, so I had some identity issues with that, as far as who I was and embracing, I guess, the other culture or the other language.  And it wasn't until I was in eighth grade that one of my professors, or teachers, Mr. Davis, said to me, he'd began to recognize that I was very good at writing in English and he told me you're a good writer and you're really creative, so I hope you keep writing.

So, I got encouragement and support from him and then I also got encouragement and support from another teacher when I was at Delaware County Community College.  I forget his name, unfortunately, but I know he was a creative writing teacher and he said that he liked my work too.  And based on that experience and not giving up, embracing two cultures and two languages and not giving up. 

And thankfully my parents didn't take that advice from that teacher.  I guess I was too young to know what was going on, but now I'm grateful because of that I'm here and now I'm getting my PhD in rhetoric and writing, and I'm very grateful for that.  So I'm more confident as a reader and a writer in English and I'm confident as a reader and writer at Spanish.  So, I'm bilingual now and that's a good thing in today's society, so the end!