Bilingual SLP Interview: Soy Mexicana Americana, My Roots Run Deep
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to share the experiences and expertise of Raquel Martinez Suh, M.A., CCC-SLP, in her journey of growing up bilingual and bicultural and becoming a bilingual speech-language pathologist. Raquel has worked as a bilingual SLP for over 10 years in various settings, including public schools in California and Texas, adult rehab, adult inpatient/outpatient, peds outpatient, peds/adult home health and acute care.
Read our interview with her below:
How has being bilingual and bicultural positively impacted your professional and personal life?
Being Latina runs deep in my roots. It carries a complex explanation because of its own diversity in relation to one’s experiences. My experience as a Latina has encompassed a bilingual and bicultural upbringing. Spanish and English were readily used – interchangeably – around me and bicultural because I was never “fully” Latina or “fully” American. Soy Mexicana Americana, which is a win-win. I had access to two cultures: my Mexican home/family culture and my American school/community culture. Both helped mold me into the SLP and the person I am today.
How has being Latina shaped the professional you became after grad school?
As a bilingual SLP, my Latin culture has allowed me to bring a much-needed personal connection to my bilingual clients, both the parents and children. As an SLP, you are not formally taught how to approach a nervous, self-blaming parent. In my years as an SLP, there have been many times when I have had to have the “parent talk,” where there is zero judgment; where you listen and give them a safe place, bringing them reassurance that they are exactly where they need to be by simply stating “I am here to help.” Letting them know that I am bilingual/bicultural gives them a sense of connection and comfort, and more importantly, it shows that they are part of the team that will help put together a plan that will benefit their child. All in all, I do this by using the tender informalities that I attribute to my warm Latin culture of endless hugs, comfort foods and generational wealth—the wealth of knowing how to be inclusive and fair in a diverse world.
On the other hand, in my personal life, understanding the advantages of being bilingual and bicultural came at a slower pace. This was because for many of my school years, I tried to blend in with my peers. Being raised in a small, rural Texas town where I was in the majority but felt like the minority brought on many challenges and valuable lessons. You didn’t want to be too Mexican or too American. Early on, my father shared his own personal experiences of generational oppression that quickly translated to grit, pride and passion, which are deeply rooted in me. Grit because when I put my mind to something I deliver. Pride because I am very proud of my ancestral roots. And passion because I have a strong desire to make a difference, in my personal life and in my profession.
When I look back at my early years, I find it interesting how a teacher ever-so-brilliantly convinced my parents that Rachel was just as good as Raquel. Yes, in 2nd grade I became Rachel, and it wasn’t until college that I reclaimed Raquel. I know, I know! You may ask yourself why does this specific experience matter? It matters because at the time, I didn’t know that I needed to be overtly proud or show how grit and passion were connected to my roots as a Latina. I was too busy “blending in”. Looking back, these strong attributes have taught me the importance of advocating for myself and for others. It has helped shape me as an individual and has molded me into the bilingual SLP I am today.
More importantly, it taught me about the most vital relationship: the one with myself and my identity as a Latina. Later, this would emerge and highlight the importance of relationships, both personally and professionally. My own Latin family dynamics and my Latin community taught me that how you treat others and how you help one another matters. Even in graduate school, this lesson was retaught. A professor once shared how our clients’ outcomes rely heavily on how you make them feel and how you treat them. To date, I have learned that having positive relationships with your clients, colleagues and mentors can only procure positive outcomes. I advocate for all my clients with the same grit, pride and passion that came from my Latin roots of generations past.
What advice would you give Latinx SLP students starting their careers?
To those of you who are just starting your careers, you are the fresh new faces of our profession. Know that there is opportunity—opportunity for innovation and opportunity to make a difference in whatever sector you choose, whether it be schools, outpatient/inpatient, rehab, hospitals or private practice. As you encounter the challenges that we face as bilingual SLPs, including standardized tests, collaboration, diagnostic/treatment practices and cultural implications, I encourage you to stay true to the practice in everything you do. Collaborate, but challenge one another by being mindful of what we stand for and remembering why we do what we do.
Bilingual Therapies offers various SLP, SLPA and CF opportunities across the country. Check out our SLP and SLPA jobs and learn more about our Bilingual SLP Student Scholarship.