Juan of Words

Forbes Explores ‘The Next Media Jackpot’: US Latinos

This August – We’re Taking Juan of Words on the Road!

What’s in a Latino Nickname?

Chato, Chuy, Chepo, Chela, Chana, Chango, Mono, Memo, Meche,  Monce, Nini, Gordo… Flaca – it’s a mouthful, I know.  En verdad, we could go on forever, pero mejor let’s get to the point.  That being, of course, the fun that are our nicknames in Spanish, better known as apodos or sobrenombres.  You know what I’m talking about.  That nickname that nobody but your family members and very, very good friends are supposed to know.  The one that always makes you cringe whenever somebody new hears you being called that! Read More

A Beautiful Tribute to Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo 

See more images HERE 

Day 6: My lunch - pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries! Sip, bien pipirisnais… lol! #JuneFotoOfTheDay 

Raising a Bilingual Kid: Getting Your Kids to Buy Into español

He tries.  He really does.  We all do.  It’s become an entire family effort to maintain Edgar’s bilingual skills.  Even more so to ensure he is fluent in Spanish.  Inevitably,    as much as we try to avoid it, we always end up talking to him in English instead of Spanish.  It’s not that we don’t feel comfortable speaking in only español, pero cómo que the words come out easier in English.

When he was younger, I think we were better at it.  He was a lot more tolerant of our “speak Spanish!” commands anyway.  Nowadays, nos sigue la corriente… but he has also made it perfectly clear English is the language he feels more comfortable in.

“Why do we have to speak in Spanish if we all speak English too?!”, he once asked us.  To which all we could reply was ¡en español! as we tried our best not to crack up at his pretty smart aleck complaint. Read More

Mexi-Vocabulario: ¡Guey/Wuey!

By far.  By very far!  This single word is the one that non-Spanish speakers always ask me about the most.  It never fails.  As soon as language comes up as a topic of conversation.  Specifically popular words used by Mexicans in Spanish here in Texas, the following question usually follows: What does that word mean that all Mexican guys use… it’s like “way” or “woo-ay”?  Is it a bad word? Read More

Ay, Au, Uy & Other Things Bilingual Kids Say

Some of the other words that are pretty common in our bilingual/bicultural household, to my surprise and orgullo, including Edgar’s, are:

¡Au! – used to express pain or discomfort.

¡Uy! – used to express or imply fear.

¡Ey! – used to command or demand attention

¿Eh? – most commonly used in place of “what?”

¡Ah! – used to express confusion or misunderstanding. Read More

Putting Bilingual Children to Sleep in Spanish: Un Lullaby

That’s how I put Edgar to sleep last night.  For some reason he was more restless than usual and even though he’s hitting that age where it’s no longer cool to let your parents put you to sleep, I could tell from his tossing and turning that last night he actually wanted a little acurrucada before falling asleep.  My own mother’s caresses as a boy would always send me into such a peaceful and relaxing place where I would dream for hours and wake up feeling refreshed and renewed.

I don’t know that my singing has the same effect, but I gave it my best shot anyway. Read More