Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about language, how it’s developed, and why English is typically the universal medium of communication. A history class about California got me thinking about these concepts given that many primary sources from our readings talk about the language barrier between the Spaniards and the Native Americans. As the Spanish people began to settle in California they assimilated the Indians into Spanish culture and attempted to convert them to Catholicism.

Source: Clipart Kid

What boggles my mind is thinking about how the forceful, militant Spanish explained God, Catholic practice, and Catholic belief without a shared language, then expected the Native Americans to become devoted Catholics. Breaking this language barrier must’ve been one of the hardest tasks of settling in the America’s. To intrude on an entire people’s land while only relying on motions and signals as communication must’ve led to a great deal of frustration. Teaching the younger generations Spanish couldn’t have been too difficult but teaching the older, hostile generation of Native Americans was most definitely a task that required patience.

Spanish became the predominant language in California until America acquired the land and English became the norm. That means the Natives had to learn another new language to please people living on their land. And not just any language, but a language considered one of the most confusing languages in existence. For this reason alone, I wonder why English is the most common spoken language in the world and why Americans expect everyone to know it. The history of language intrigues me and I empathize dearly with second class citizens who have to adapt to the environment they are in.