VA Virginia by Mikayla

VA Virginia by Mikayla - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

I’m more than just a ‘black girl’
Yo soy más que sólo una “chica negra”

Yo no soy de Latinoamerica, pero yo puedo hablar y comunicarme con los hispanohablantes.
Cuando voy a un lugar donde todos hablan español, yo puedo entender todo lo que oigo. Esta
habilidad que tengo me ayuda pero choca a la gente que tiene una impresión diferente de mi
solo por el color de mi piel.
I am a young, African­American woman who speaks and writes Spanish fluently. To
translate what I said above, it reads, “I’m not Latin American, but I can talk and communicate
with those who speak Spanish. When I go to a place where everyone speaks Spanish, I can
understand everything I hear. Being bilingual helps me, however, shocks those who have a
different impression of me only because of the color of my skin.” People look at me from the
outside and only see the color of my skin; however, I’m much more than just a "black girl."
Discriminatory comments have become the norm to me; people have a way of treating
others differently while in reality not knowing what the other person is capable of accomplishing.
I once attended a play that discussed how people who think you cannot understand their
language feel “comfortable” talking about matters that they do not want you to hear in that
language. People immediately assume that the only language I know is English until I reply to
them in their own language. I would constantly ask myself: Why are they judging me based on
face value rather than what I actually can bring to the table?
Amongst my African­American peers, I was often ostracized and isolated. People who
implied that I wasn’t “black enough” surrounded me. In the ninth grade, I attended an all girls
African­American club at my school and knew that I would fit right in. However, when I
articulated who I was the whole room was appalled. All I said was, ‘Hey guys, I’m Mikayla
Lawrence, I love learning languages, so far I know three and I’m working on learning my
fourth...’ The setting changed from a welcoming environment to an interrogation room: ‘but ain’t
you black? Oh, so you don’t play basketball? If you can speak Spanish then say something’. The
questions were thrown aggressively like knives simultaneously. Although I knew that being
bilingual wasn’t the impression others had of me, I never thought that my own sisters would
have that same impression.
Every day I shock someone when a language other than English comes out of my mouth.
I love this! My bilingualism has afforded me so many benefits: from traveling and being the only
one in my family that can communicate with non­English speakers, to now tutoring in Spanish
and sharing my gift with others. My bilingualism is a part of who I am, and I wouldn’t change it
for the world.
I have learned to embrace my ability. I am comfortable and confident in my skin as a
bilingual individual. I can now express myself in many different environments and be proud of
who I am. Most importantly, I have learned to see the world through multiple perspectives.
Being bilingual has helped me develop intimate relationships in multiple diverse communities. I
can now thrive in various settings as a bilingual African­American.
Paraphrasing what First Lady, Michelle Obama so eloquently stated,​ ​ “I’m not bossy, I’m
strong, I’m not loud I’m a young woman with something important to say.” In my case, not only
do I have something important to say, I’m able to convey it in multiple languages!