A few weeks ago, our local news did a story on families that had adopted children from other countries. During the interview the adoptive mother made the statement that she would like for the child to keep in touch with her "native" culture, but that there was just not a Hispanic community in the area. I fought back the urge to call the TV station and ask them why they let such a statement on the air. Within a thiry minutes drive in any direction of this family's home town there are several large Hispanic populations. I wondered how they could have possibly ignored the signs of Spanish speakers. Since I started teaching Spanish, I have always told my students that one of the best ways to learn is to practice with a native speaker. Here are some tips on how to locate Spanish speaking people within your community.
For people living in the cities, it seems a little easier to locate Spanish speakers. This is probably due largely to the fact that there are more people in a smaller area. For those of you looking for the Hispanic community in the city, I would first suggest that you check for a Spanish radio station. Listen in and see where are the stores that are being advertised. Also, look for Spanish newspapers and TV stations in the area. The advertisements will give you more specific locations of businesses that cater to the Hispanic population.
Probably one of the most obvious suggestions I have for both rural and urban Spanish seekers is look for Mexican restaurants. (No, Taco Bell probably won't help a lot!) Look for authentic Mexican restaurants. In our area there are several Mexican restaurants that have popped up in the last few years. If you go on the off hours, the staff are usually more than happy to chat with you in Spanish. Here is a good opportunity to look for more clues in your search for Spanish speakers. Ask them if there are any Mexican grocery stores, churches, clubs, etc. in the area.
Another place you could look for people to practice your Spanish with is at churches. If you attend a church, check around to see if they don't have a Hispanic outreach. Especially check out the Catholic churches. Since the majority of Latin American countries hold Catholicism as their "official" religion, churches here in the United States often hold a special Spanish mass to accomodate the Hispanic congregation. In fact, my family and I attend Jesus es el Señor Church. The pastor speaks in Spanish and his wife translates into English on the spot. It's a great way to practice! Even the other day, we took a road that we don't normally travel on and we saw a little country church that had a bilingual sign! My husband quickly decided that we will have to visit sometime to see if there is another Hispanic congregation in the area.
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