bilingual

[GoHop]

I am Hispanic but i don't speak Spanish. will this be a disadvantage when I apply? Also, i don't look like a typical Hispanic; i have pale skin and most people are surprised to find out that i am. I'm just worried that ADCOM's will think i'm trying to get over on them. My last name is Fernandez though........

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[efex101]

Well to be honest (and I am Hispanic)...I would "expect" most Hispanics (specially if you are claiming it) to speak Spanish...this is just *my* opinion though. Also if you are asking....

 

[njbmd]

I am Hispanic but i don't speak Spanish. will this be a disadvantage when I apply? Also, i don't look like a typical Hispanic; i have pale skin and most people are surprised to find out that i am. I'm just worried that ADCOM's will think i'm trying to get over on them. My last name is Fernandez though........

My best friend who is African-American has the last name "Takahashi" because her husband is Japanese. She doesn't look Japanese and she does speak Japanese. Do you suppose that an "ADCOM will think" that she is "trying to get over on them"?

 

[QofQuimica]

Well to be honest (and I am Hispanic)...I would "expect" most Hispanics (specially if you are claiming it) to speak Spanish...this is just *my* opinion though. Also if you are asking....

I don't agree. Hispanic is an ethnicity which encompasses many facets of culture and ancestry. Although speaking Spanish is often part of Hispanic ethnicity, it is neither necessary nor sufficient to claim Hispanic identity. There are many gringos like me who speak Spanish, and there are also many Hispanics who have been in this country for several generations and who no longer do. I see it as being analogous to my ethnically Jewish family. My grandparents were religious Eastern European immigrants who learned English as a third or fourth language; my parents' generation was born here and grew up bilingual and relatively Americanized; and those of us in my generation are second-generation Americans who, like the OP, grew up speaking only English. We don't follow most of our old religious traditions, we don't speak the old languages, and we don't dress or live like our orthodox grandparents did. But even so, we still identify ethnically as Jews.

 

[GoHop]

My best friend who is African-American has the last name "Takahashi" because her husband is Japanese. She doesn't look Japanese and she does speak Japanese. Do you suppose that an "ADCOM will think" that she is "trying to get over on them"?

Um i'm thinking the difference between me and her is the fact that my ancestors are in fact hispanic. My family name was not obtained through marriage. My grandparents came here and i am 2nd generation. My situation and hers are totally different. i hope you just misunderstood my original post. i believe the reason i dont look hispanic is purely genetic. My brother has skin that is alot darker than mine and never got the confused looks that i got during role call in high school.


The thing that gets to me is the stigma that if you are hispanic you should speak spanish. No one questions if the guy down the hall is black because he doesn't speak a native language.

I asked my grandparents once why they never pressed my father to speak spanish as a child. They replied that when they came to this country they wanted to be considered american and nothing else. They wanted to embrace american culture and therefore speak english. When they came over everyone wanted to be american.

Now, does this make me less hispanic? In my opinion no. My grandparents were hispanic, my father is, and so am i. i just wanted to know how ADCOMs will look upon this and i thank those who have replied.

 

[DoctaJay]

The only problem I see is that often when you are listed as Hispanic, medical schools might hook you up with a Spanish speaking interviewer, arbitrarily.

 

[GoHop]

The only problem I see is that often when you are listed as Hispanic, medical schools might hook you up with a Spanish speaking interviewer, arbitrarily.

Yea i'm hoping that doesn't happen. I'm not going to lie and put down that i do speak it or that it was a language spoken in my household so it would have to be a big assumption on their part.

 

[efex101]

I am not saying or insinuating that just because you do not speak Spanish...you are *not* Hispanic...what I am saying and again this is MY opinion...that being Hispanic (aside from the factors mentioned by Q) also has a huge language component...and most Hispanics I know DO indeed speak Spanish (no, not fluently but enought to get by). To my understanding ONE of the reasons that medical school would like to increase the number of Hispanics is so that we can better treat Hispanic patients....why do you think this is? because many Hispanic patients speak SPANISH and hence would get better treatment from someone that speaks Spanish. Now, I am not saying that these patients cannot get excellent treatment from any other individual that speaks Spanish (Hispanic or not). Anyways, again this is MY personal feeling regarding this issue.

 

[artaxerxes]

I am not saying or insinuating that just because you do not speak Spanish...you are *not* Hispanic...what I am saying and again this is MY opinion...that being Hispanic (aside from the factors mentioned by Q) also has a huge language component...and most Hispanics I know DO indeed speak Spanish (no, not fluently but enought to get by). To my understanding ONE of the reasons that medical school would like to increase the number of Hispanics is so that we can better treat Hispanic patients....why do you think this is? because many Hispanic patients speak SPANISH and hence would get better treatment from someone that speaks Spanish. Now, I am not saying that these patients cannot get excellent treatment from any other individual that speaks Spanish (Hispanic or not). Anyways, again this is MY personal feeling regarding this issue.

excellent point, but medical schools might not care that much. The whole point of URM is to find candidates that can relate to and be trusted by URM patient populations. Yes you are hispanic, and that'll give you a few points of "trust", but not speaking spanish is going to hinder your ability to communicate and ultimately improve these patient's healthcare experience.

 

[BigRedPremed]

excellent point, but medical schools might not care that much. The whole point of URM is to find candidates that can relate to and be trusted by URM patient populations. Yes you are hispanic, and that'll give you a few points of "trust", but not speaking spanish is going to hinder your ability to communicate and ultimately improve these patient's healthcare experience.

This is an excellent point. Part of the reasoning for AA is to get minorities to go see the doctor more. Therefore, having a Hispanic-sounding last name, looking Hispanic, and being able to speak Spanish are important. You're missing 2 out of the 3 so you may not be as "valuable" as another Hispanic URM.

 

[PinkLittmann]

I know exactly how you feel. I am 100% mexican (or as much as you can be with the Spanish influence in Mexico). I am brown haired, brown eyed, and my skin is white. My grandma's skin is so dark people used to ask me if she was black before I even knew what being white, brown, or black implied about ethnicity. I do not speak Spanish fluently. I read it pretty well and if someone speaks slowly without getting too fancy I can understand, but I have a lot of problems speaking it. My head gets too caught up in making errors, grammar rules, and just comes to a screeching halt before I can speak. However, in my primary essay I expressed my desire to try to increase my fluency during my year off, which I am doing by starting some Spanish lessons with a friend who graduated with his degree in Spanish. In any case, shame on someone who would make the silly assumption that you have to speak Spanish to be Latino. When my grandparents got here they were told to learn English and stop speaking Spanish. So now both my parents were never taught Spanish because my grandparents did not want their children to be ostracized. Now I'm here and I'm going to have to learn the hard way. I don't mind though, I know I want to do urban medicine and I truly want to be fluent. I too am a little afraid the admissions com. will see me and think I'm not really mexican like so many others do. However, I'm hoping they are a little more informed than that and willing to give us hard working Latinos a chance.

 

[Smiley2012]

I totally understand that it's not your (your being the people of hispanic heritage who don't speak spanish) fault that you don't speak spanish because you didn't learn it at home. You can't help the way your parents raised you. You're totally right: in the old days before the mass immigrations, everyone wanted to fit in and be accepted.

But I have to disagree with those that think that not speaking spanish is not a hindrance to being a latino/a. What makes a culture? Its music, literature, poetry, idioms, beliefs, the way the taste of food is described, the way people are described...all these things just wouldn't make as much sense once you've translated them into english. That's what makes languages beautiful...it's that "je ne sais quai" quality/feeling that can only be expressed in that particular language.

 

[GreenShirt]

I have to disagree with all the posts on this thread. Ethnicity is determined by lineage not language. If ADCOMS select Hispanic URMs for their ability to speak Spanish then it would be equally logical for them to give preference to any applicant who demonstrates competency on Spanish regardless of their ethnicity.

To OP: If your Hispanic ethnicity is a significant part of your identity or part of your life, you should be able to work it into your interview answers ("I enjoy learning how to cook hispanic food from my mother", etc.). If they give you a skeptical look you can bring up the issues you have with your Hispanic identity b/c of your appearance and inability to speak spanish and delve into what ethnicity means to you.