There’s a question that makes us uncomfortable, but it’s worth asking ourselves honestly: Are Hispanics abandoning Spanish in the United States? The answer isn’t simple. It’s not about blaming anyone, nor about measuring who is “more Hispanic” by the language they speak.
Life in the United States naturally pushes us toward English.
It’s the language of school, work, paperwork, politics, and public life. For many children and grandchildren of immigrants, English isn’t an option: it’s the language they grow up in.
But something is happening.
According to the Pew Research Center, although 75% of Hispanics say they can speak and understand Spanish, that proportion drops to 55% among Latinos born in the United States.
And among third-generation Hispanics, it falls even further: only 34% say they can communicate in Spanish.
This is not a minor detail. It’s a sign of profound change.
The gradual loss of Spanish has cultural, social, political, and media implications.
It affects how families communicate across generations. It affects how young people connect with their roots.
Of course, speaking English is essential for getting ahead in the United States. It would be absurd to deny it.
English opens doors in education, employment, public services, civic participation, and daily life. For any Latino living in this country, mastering English is not a betrayal: it’s a tool for survival and advancement.
The problem isn’t learning English. The problem is losing Spanish along the way.
Here are three suggestions to encourage the daily use of Spanish:
- Speak the language at home every day, even in simple moments: during meals, when saying goodbye, when sharing how your day went. Consistency is more valuable than perfection.
- Use stories, songs, movies, and games from their home country to make the language feel alive, fun, and connected to the culture, not just an extra school assignment.
- Maintain ties with family and community, for example, by calling grandparents, cultural groups, or friends who speak the language. Nothing teaches better than using it with loved ones.
The key is to champion bilingualism, not as a burden, but as an advantage. It’s not about choosing between English or Spanish. It’s about understanding that our children can have access to both worlds.
Speaking English allows them to get ahead in the United States. Speaking Spanish allows them to remember where they come from. Bilingualism enriches our lives, strengthens our communities, and contributes to the economic, cultural, and political development of a diverse country.
That’s why the question shouldn’t be, perhaps, whether Hispanics are abandoning Spanish. The question should be: What are we willing to do to not lose it?
Because Spanish is a treasure. And no community should be able to afford to lose its own voice.
