I know, I know. Being a “no sabo kid” is not supposed to be a badge of honor. It’s supposed to be embarrassing and shameful. Or is it?

Wait a minute. What’s a “no sabo kid”?

I’m so glad you asked. A ‘no sabo kid’ is a person, of any age, that has Latinx heritage/ancestry but cannot* speak Spanish.

Quick Spanish lesson: If you know Spanish or have ever taken a class, you know that the word saber (“to know”) is an irregular verb – which means you cannot conjugate it as you would normally. The correct way to say “I don’t know” is “(yo) no sé”, but if you don’t know Spanish or mix up the conjugations, your first instinct might be to say “yo no sabo” – hence the term “no sabo kid”. Yes, it is supposed to be an insult.

*The interesting thing about those who are labeled “no sabo kids” is that a large portion of them actually do speak Spanish and consider themselves bilingual, like me. Many, like me, are incredibly proud of their heritage and identify as Latinx/Hispanic, but struggle with the pressure of being a “perfect bilingual”. The moment we use the wrong word or an anglicized pronunciation of a word, we are automatically labeled an NSK; even if we were in the middle of speaking in Spanish.

I, for one, am tired of the shame. I am tired of feeling inadequate, like a “bad Latina”, of feeling like I’m not Latina enough because my Spanish isn’t perfect. And the biggest issue with this is that we are doing this to ourselves: Latinxs vs. Latinxs.

My goal is to empower other Latin-Americans to embrace their cultures and heritages, whether or not they speak Spanish. Learning Spanish was important to me, but learning it did not quell the identity anxiety in me; only self-acceptance did. I encourage you to walk this journey with me to find a path to your own self-acceptance and to embrace el orgullo latino que tenemos!

You belong here, as you are. Bienvenidos a todos.

Con mucho cariño,

Yazmin I.P.