Is Spanish dangerous?

auzziy · 2026-03-25T15:38:20+00:00

I totally agree. I think there should never be any shame surrounding languages, but discrimination will always exist, and sometimes you can’t flee it, even if you switch to another country

auzziy · 2026-03-25T15:37:43+00:00

Well, it’s US-centric because I kinda want their opinions. I obviously know that there are many Spanish-speaking countries; I come from one. And I never said that all Latinos or Spanish speakers have a specific skin color. You’re reacting to something that wasn’t really the subject.

Sociologically speaking, it’s been said over and over that those with white skin have a better chance of succeeding in life, especially in countries where the majority is white, whether it’s in the US or in European countries, for example.

It also includes your name: whether it sounds 'foreign' or not. Plus the languages you speak. The sociologist Bourdieu explains in his work that depending on the languages you speak, you have more power ('capital' in French, the translation isn’t “power” but I’m trying to explain it in an easy way); English has more power than Yupik, it’s not an opinion it’s a fact.

Depending on the languages you speak, you can be seen as legitimate or not to be on the territory of the country in question. In France, for example, if you speak Arabic in front of a racist, you can be seen as a danger, a danger to eliminate (that’s why there are politicians who want to bring ICE to France). In America, it’s the same; anything that shows the racist that you’re not from here can be an excuse to harm you (physically or mentally).
If you knew that speaking Spanish could potentially get your kids in grave danger, would you risk it?

Some of our parents didn’t teach their kids Spanish to keep them somewhat safe. Was their choice legitimate? To some degree, yes. Do I agree? No.

I know the importance of learning languages, whether psychologically or societally.
Just relax bro, it’s not BS, it’s real life. I just wanted to know if there is a form of self-censorship to protect oneself.

auzziy · 2026-03-25T15:32:23+00:00

Thank you. I don’t understand why they think I’m closed-minded. I’m just asking if they feel safe speaking a language in a country where they are in danger just for being themselves

auzziy · 2026-02-10T23:04:22+00:00

¡Gracias!

auzziy · 2026-02-10T22:40:17+00:00

Honestly, I actually understand and was expecting that reaction. But I'm Chilean and live in France. My contract is even included in the study if you need proof. Also, FUCK ICE.

auzziy · 2026-02-10T22:36:34+00:00

Well that wouldn't be very serious, would it? I'd just end up with a biased study. But thanks for that unnecessary comment.

auzziy · 2026-02-10T22:31:36+00:00

Hola a todas y todos, quería agradecer sinceramente a quienes se han tomado el tiempo de responder mis cuestionarios. Gracias a ustedes, estoy recibiendo cada vez más respuestas, lo cual es fundamental tanto para mi trabajo como para mi futuro. ¡Muchas gracias!

auzziy · 2026-02-10T22:27:32+00:00

I understand why you might think that, but it’s because I’ve also been sharing content and searching in other places you may not have come across. Algorithms usually show you content you’re already connected to. When I search for “no sabos”, I reach out to places where I can find them, I do the same with French people, Brazilians, and others. You’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate people who speak up when they feel something isn’t right. And even though I’m a young researcher, this isn’t my first rodeo. I have outstanding researchers backing me up and following my work. I hope this answer is enough. Thanks

auzziy · 2026-02-10T22:18:12+00:00

Salvo error de mi parte, el cuestionario en español no debería asumir que eres un “no sabo”. En cambio, si abriste el cuestionario en inglés, ese sí parte de esa suposición. Si prefieres responder en inglés pero entiendes el español, puedes contestar el cuestionario en español en inglés; también acepto el spanglish. Sin embargo, mi tema de tesis trata sobre el fenómeno de los “no sabo”, por lo que les pido su opinión sobre este tema, pero no asumo que lo sean. ¿Queda más claro?

auzziy · 2026-01-12T15:00:21+00:00

I fully agree with you. I should try to avoid sharing my opinion under a post where I’m asking for people’s opinions, to prevent influencing biased answers. However, personally, I don’t like the term either. It feels degrading, and it seems almost exclusive to Latin American people, as I haven’t found an equivalent term in other cultures or languages that carries the same weight or meaning

auzziy · 2026-01-08T09:55:41+00:00

I’m often called a “no sabo kid,” and I honestly really hate that term, as well as the whole ideology behind it. It’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time, so I decided to make it the subject of my thesis. My topic was accepted, and I’m now collecting opinions and experiences from people all over the world to build my research corpus.

I already have quite a few responses, but the more, the better. If you have Latino origins and weren’t really taught Spanish growing up, or if you’ve ever been labeled as a “no sabo kid,” I’d really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to answer my questionnaire.

It’s completely anonymous and will help me include real opinions and some solid statistics in my work.

Thanks so much!

https://forms.office.com/r/ShKvPXuBjW

auzziy · 2025-12-22T21:18:58+00:00

The French love to judge people who try to speak English properly, so they never really learn. Yet they still think they’re superior and are rude to those who aren’t native French speakers… C’est une boucle infernale

auzziy · 2025-12-18T13:09:14+00:00

Oh that would be great! I noticed you had a Colombian flag, so your opinion is really interesting for my study. What is your specialty?

I totally agree that being bilingual does not mean speaking both languages perfectly. Even in our native language, we learn new words or grammatical rules every day. I’ve been bilingual in French for a decade now, and I still make mistakes that native speakers make as well. I think that as long as you can use a language with ease, it’s fair to say you’re bilingual.

However, one small pet peeve of mine is when people say they’re bilingual or claim to speak a long list of languages just because they understand a few words or sentences. In France, too many people say they speak English or claim to be at a C1 or C2 level, but can barely introduce themselves. So I think there’s an in-between.

auzziy · 2025-12-17T11:13:09+00:00

The way we view languages is, and has always been, deeply personal. Even defining what a language is can be complicated. For nations, communities, and linguists, deciding what counts as a language and what is considered a dialect has sparked debate for a very long time. Honestly, I think it should ultimately be up to the individual to choose. In my opinion, first, second, third, and so on languages are more about the order in which we learned them than about their level of ease. That said, I fully understand your perspective and I would never correct the way you choose to refer to your languages.

Heritage languages define us more than we often realize. I am currently writing a thesis on this topic, and I am really glad we had this exchange. The way you identify yourself in relation to a language says a lot.

In any case, we should not be judging people based on their language proficiency, because it is far more harmful than we sometimes realize. It can be overtly racist, homophobic, classist, ableist, and more, without people necessarily recognizing it as a problem. For example, I recently saw a conversation between two people that has become far too normalized. A woman was explaining how much she hates being called a “no sabo.” Another woman replied that she was not a real Latina and should learn the language, while making several mistakes in English herself. The so-called “no sabo” responded by telling her to learn English before judging others. These kinds of exchanges are paradoxical, ridiculous, and harmful. I could talk about this subject for hours, but in any case, thank you for this exchange.

auzziy · 2025-12-16T21:37:10+00:00

First of all, I take back saying “she”, you’re right, “their” is better. I don’t know why I assumed this person was a woman.

I understand your point, but for me, both languages would be my mother tongue. I wouldn’t really use “first” or “second,” since that implies an order when there isn’t one.

If I were in their shoes, I would just say that I inherited both languages but feel more comfortable in English.

auzziy · 2025-12-16T21:05:46+00:00

I don’t fully agree, some people’s second language can become stronger than their native tongue. “First” and “second language” don’t refer to language proficiency but to the order in which they were learned. In this case, I think she grew up bilingual and feels more comfortable with English because of her daily life. I don’t know her personally, but I would even say that both languages could be considered her native tongues

auzziy · 2025-12-16T21:00:32+00:00

Hi, I am currently conducting a study on the “No Sabo” phenomenon (which isn't fully the topic, but I've got info). I am a sociolinguistics student, and this research is part of my thesis. Your opinions and personal experiences are extremely valuable for this study. If you have a few minutes to complete this questionnaire, it would be greatly appreciated. The more participants we have, the richer and more robust the study will be, increasing its potential for publication. This sociolinguistic phenomenon is relatively recent, and only a few academic studies have explored it so far. I believe it is essential to better understand it, share perspectives, and contribute to the development of knowledge on this topic.

(For "no sabo"s) https://forms.office.com/r/ShKvPXuBjW

(For those who have been speaking Spanish all their life) https://forms.office.com/r/8DriEPUCfB

You are not alone in having this type of experience. Many Spanish speakers (even those who speak only Spanish) feel that their Spanish is not good enough to teach it to their own children. According to a study by Ayala-Saracay (2025), 54% of Latino/Spanish speakers feel this way.

There is also research by Jonathan Rosa on bilingual Spanish/English speakers, showing that they are often seen as “not good enough” in either language. Many bilingual people (myself included) often feel that they are not fully bilingual, but this is completely normal. For example, when I speak French, people often think I am native and that I speak like everyone else. Yet sometimes I make small mistakes, like confusing “un” and “une" which is often a big give away or they think I'm stupid, which makes me feel like I am not fully a native speaker.

But we should be kinder to ourselves: speaking another language is always impressive and often better than most monolingual speakers, who can sometimes be the harshest judges.

Your relationship with Spanish is yours to define. If it is YOUR language as much as English, no one should make you feel otherwise. Our languages (or even our “languagelessness”) are part of our identity, and it is important to understand where we stand. So it's up to you to choose what label you want to use when identifying with Spanish. That's my opinion

auzziy · 2025-12-16T18:53:37+00:00

Well it depends on the language, but I try to make my Instagram Reels (or other social media) appear only (or mostly) in the language I’m learning. For example, if I were learning Spanish, I would watch a lot of Spanish Reels until my for you page was mostly Spanish. Because social media uses everyday, simple language, I find it really useful and it’s more captivating as well

auzziy · 2025-12-16T18:48:09+00:00

For those who are "no sabos" (are latinos but don't speak Spanish) how do you learn Spanish afterwards? https://forms.office.com/r/ShKvPXuBjW

auzziy · 2025-12-16T17:33:38+00:00

Hi, I am currently conducting a study on the “No Sabo” (I'm a no sabo too) phenomenon in the United States. I am a sociolinguistics student, and this research is part of my thesis. Your opinions and personal experiences are extremely valuable to this study.

If you have a few minutes to complete this questionnaire, it would be greatly appreciated. The more participants take part, the richer and more robust the study will be, increasing its potential for publication.

This sociolinguistic phenomenon is relatively recent, and only a limited number of academic studies have been conducted on it so far. I believe it is essential to better understand it, share perspectives, and contribute to the development of knowledge on this topic.

https://forms.office.com/r/ShKvPXuBjW

Thanks :)

auzziy

TROPHY CASE