Why go against the grain?

For years, I wanted to be taken seriously for my Spanish skills. Until...

I’d studied the grammar, the literature, the culture, even ethnography (the science of observing by integrating into a group). I’d lived and worked in Spain, then Mexico.

So, I wanted people to see that I wasn’t just playing at bilingualism—I’d put in the time.

But validation is a slippery thing.

I remember someone debating with me whether there should be…