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The
issue of the Spanish language in the United States is not
an easy topic to approach. We need to bear in mind the diversity
of Spanish in this country, as well as the need to establish
a common denominator in this amazing melting pot. But there
is more to it. Linguistic and cultural influences and the
major repercussions of the use of Spanish in the media also
play a critical role when it comes to US Spanish.
Despite
the striking differences within the Hispanic group, it has
gained such power in North American society that it has become
an audience that attracts great interest from both private
and public enterprises. While corporations have their eyes
set on part of the more than US$ 350 million currently consumed
by the Hispanic community, the government and politicians
are eager for their votes and support. This last fact has
actually provided incentive for the nationalization of many
Hispanic immigrants and the consequent use of their voting
rights.
Just
like any other Spanish-speaking immigrant, I have had the
opportunity to experience the complexity involved in the use
of the language in this country, both on a personal and professional
level, as I work with communications in Spanish. One of the
reasons for this unexpected complexity is the wide variety
of origins of Spanish speakers in the United States. According
to data from the US Census Bureau published in 2004, almost
40 million Hispanics reside in the country, in addition to
the almost 4 million Hispanics from Puerto Rico. Among these
40 million, 67% come from Mexico, 14% from Central and South
America, 9% from Puerto Rico, 4% from Cuba and 7% from other
countries and regions.
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This
variety of origins gives rise to endless debates regarding
terminology-related decisions, not only when writing texts
but also when translating into Spanish for use in the United
States. Therefore, terms like "autobús" can
also appear as "camión" (Mexico), "guagua"
(Cuba and Puerto Rico), "colectivo" (Argentina and
Venezuela), etc.
Such
situations create the controversial need for the use of a
generic or neutral Spanish in communications
targeted at the Hispanic market in the United States. However,
a country-specific solution is adopted in certain situations:
one chooses to use Mexican editors when the content is directed
at an audience that is mainly Mexican, Puerto Rican editors
when the audience is mainly Puerto Rican, and so on.
When
it comes to communicating in Spanish in the North American
territory, there are several circumstances that inevitably
lead to the controversial Spanglish, which involves the use
of English words in a Spanish dialogue and the indiscriminate
use of “Anglicisms.” Listed below are some of
the most important of these circumstances:
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The close contact between English and Spanish languages
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The inevitable influence of the North American culture
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The low cultural level of many Hispanic immigrants
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The phenomenon of assimilation
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The need to guarantee a common lexicon, and
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The influence of the media on the use of the Spanish language.
Such
circumstances are crucial when it comes to creating understandable
content and translations that efficiently communicate with
this target audience.
It
is no easy task to write in Spanish or translate a text from
English into Spanish having the Hispanic market in mind. Despite
our origins and regionalisms, we all have the need to communicate
in a correct and efficient way, doing our best to overcome
these obstacles while at the same time meeting our clients'
needs.
Every
good professional should be willing to undertake the investigation
and training necessary to convey the desired message effectively
and help clients understand the idiosyncrasies of Spanish
communications within the US-based Hispanic community.
In
order to more easily instruct those clients who wish to establish
communications in Spanish targeted at this market, it is necessary
that they consider the factors that define the client's participation
in this process, such as:
- Their
possible lack of familiarity with the challenges posed by
Spanish translations for use in the United States;
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A common notion shared by many non-bilingual clients that
there is only one correct version of Spanish, and that this
version is understood by everyone;
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Revisions made by the client's bilingual staff that, unaware
of this audience’s diversity, may cause misunderstandings
between the translation agency or translator and the client;
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The fact that many communication strategists insist on using
an inferior level of Spanish when translating or adapting
the language in order to ensure effective communication
with target audiences of lower cultural levels—a process
that might result in a negative perception of the client;
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Deadlines that often do not allow for proper quality control
during the translation process;
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The eventual need to translate the Spanish back into English
in order to observe internal guidelines for the approval
of the Spanish version for publication, especially in the
case of North American corporations.
These
factors may generate unnecessary problems that could easily
be avoided with investments in a preliminary consensus in
the form of guidelines and glossaries. The preparation and
creation of these control elements should be supervised by
an advisory team of translators and editors from different
origins with expertise in the US Hispanic market. This team
should work closely with the client in the analysis of contents
and creation of standards and glossaries.
Reaching
a consensus requires hard work, but the list of benefits is
endless—significant cost reduction, more organized and
predictable work processes and higher quality content that
is more generic and consistent… However, it is also
important to point out that this teamwork is a breeding ground
that can be observed, controlled and manipulated by the client
to create content and translations that fit their communication
purposes.
Although
this fascinating theme involves countless components, I will
finish this article highlighting the importance of the Spanish
language as a common denominator and unifying element for
all Hispanics residing in the United States. It integrates
them into a powerful group regardless of origins or lexical
differences. And the power that Spanish confers to this group
is reason enough to preserve and defend it, remembering always
to respect our lexical differences and our enriching diversity.
María Ángeles Prieto
is a seasoned expert in the field of Spanish-language copywriting,
translation and adaptation of advertising and marketing materials
for Spanish-speaking markets in the United States, Latin America
and Spain. Born in Spain, she dedicated most of her extracurricular
life to studying French, English and German. She has a degree
in Advertising and Public Relations from the Complutense University
of Madrid. In 1990, she moved to New York where she worked
for renowned marketing companies focused on the Latin American
and US Hispanic markets. She also co-founded SpanLingua in
1998 and since then her work has been mainly focused on managing
translation and adaptation projects targeting the US Hispanic
market. Prieto has two boys and loves to spend time with them
whenever possible. |
