Being Bilingual Is Being More

by Claudia Cataldi

“Grandma, how do you say that in Spanish?”

If you’ve ever blended two languages in a single sentence, congratulations, you carry two cultures in your heart. And no, that’s not confusion. It’s an act of love for your roots.

Keeping alive the language we inherited from our parents, grandparents, or childhood is far more than a linguistic trait. It’s a gesture of belonging, affirmation, and above all, quiet tenderness in a world that often tries to box us in, simplify us, or erase where we come from.

In the United States, it’s estimated that over 43 million people speak Spanish as their first language. And that number continues to grow, along with the pride of those who choose not to let go of their history. For those who speak Portuguese, especially the roughly 1.9 million Brazilian immigrants living in the U.S., the challenge is even greater: to keep a lesser-known, but equally rich, language alive among children and grandchildren.

Language carries values, emotions, grandma’s recipes, and expressions that simply don’t translate. Saying “te quiero” or “saudade” is not the same as “I love you” or “I miss you.” Language is the soul of a people, and every time we stop teaching it to our children, we lose a piece of who we are.

Speaking two languages doesn’t mean being divided between two worlds, it means expanding our horizons and building more bridges. Studies show that bilingual individuals have greater cognitive flexibility, intercultural awareness, and yes, better job opportunities. Keeping Spanish or Portuguese alive at home is about opening doors without closing windows.

Nurturing a language is also a way of celebrating who we are, in our accents, in the songs we play at home, in the jokes that only make sense in our mother tongue. It’s about saying, loud and clear, “we are here,” “we exist.”

And let’s be clear: English has welcomed us with open arms and countless opportunities. It’s the language in which we earned our degrees, opened businesses, sang along to the radio, and connected with the world. It was the bridge that allowed us to start over, to thrive, to become part of a nation built by immigrants. Loving English and American culture doesn’t exclude, it enriches. Being bilingual is recognizing that we can have deep roots and, at the same time, open branches stretching toward the sky.

This is not about rejecting English, it’s about embracing our roots. Living in the United States is a brave choice, full of hope and possibility. It’s here that many of us started anew with dignity, built new stories without forgetting the ones that brought us here. English opened doors for us, embraced our dreams, and gave us the tools to make them real.

To feel proud of living in America is to recognize the value of freedom, of diversity, and of the beautiful possibility of being more.

And to show the next generation that being more than one thing is a privilege. So, the next time your child asks, “Mom, how do I say this in Spanish?” or “Dad, what does ‘abracinho’ mean?” … smile. Teaching is planting culture. And planting culture is a profound act of love for who we are.

Photo of heart pennant with message by Susanna Marsigli and photo of two children two culutres by cottonbro studio from pexels.com. Caludia’s image submitted by author.

Claudia Cataldi is a Journalist, M.Sc. in Political Science and International Relations. She is also the President of the Brazilian Association of Digital and Electronic Press – RJ.