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Melissa Lozada-Oliva - My Spanish
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Melissa Lozada-Oliva - My Spanish

Exploring the Complexity of Language and Identity

The Nature of Spanish Fluency

  • The speaker describes their relationship with Spanish as an "itchy Phantom limb," indicating a struggle to connect with the language, feeling it is elusive and incomplete.
  • They illustrate their Spanish as fragmented, comparing it to a soggy puzzle that cannot fit together, symbolizing the challenges in achieving fluency.
  • The speaker expresses frustration about their limited vocabulary, likening it to reaching for words that are out of reach and questioning if language has an expiration date.

Personal Connections to Language

  • The narrative reflects on personal experiences tied to language, such as memories of family events and cultural identity shaped by linguistic ability.
  • They recount stories from childhood, including a sister's beauty pageant and tales about absent parents, emphasizing how these narratives intertwine with their understanding of Spanish.

Cultural Reflections

  • The speaker discusses the complexities surrounding their parents' backgrounds and identities, revealing how these factors influence their own perception of being American or white.
  • A poignant story emerges about the parents meeting in an ESL class, highlighting themes of love across languages and the struggles inherent in mastering a new tongue.
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Get Melissa's book, PELUDA: http://bit.ly/melissapeluda Check out all of Melissa’s books: https://bit.ly/MelissaLozadaOliva Become a Member for exclusive perks and videos: https://bit.ly/ButtonMember Melissa Lozada-Oliva, performing at WoWPS 2015 in Albuquerque, NM. Volunteers needed! Help choose videos for Button: https://bit.ly/ButtonCurator About Button: Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry. We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.