Salma, Sofia, Danny, Benicio…That exquisite Hispanic Accent, Chico!
Hispanic businesspeople could be at risk for securing the best business outcomes
Growing your business while embracing your roots
Some Hispanic actors are famous for their accents… Everyone recognizes Salma Hayek, Benicio del Toro, Sofia Vergara for their pronunciation, and how it distinguishes them from the rest of the cast. Their mother tongue is unequivocally Spanish, from Colombia, to Mexico, to Cuba — It’s just one ingredient of their personalities that helped them succeed in the movie industry. But this is not necessarily the case when it comes to other industries. Let’s take a deeper look into this.
It’s so much more than an accent.
Our mother language is part of our identity, of our upbringing, and “speaks” our core values. For many of us, those values were learned in our family. However, when migrating to the continental United States, regardless of proficiency, our English carries an “accent.” It could be soft or heavy, with “British sprinkles” or with a strong staccato, all which make it unique, wonderful, and probably impossible to replicate.
But sometimes, it’s not taken that way.
I recall a colleague, who was both a born-and-raised New Yorker and an MBA professional. They were married to a Mexican and living in Miami, and shared angrily one day, “It’s sad to hear people in our company think that because someone has an accent, or lives in a Latin location like San Juan or Miami, that person is less smart than others.” Most immigrants who speak English as a second language have gone through situations where a heavy accent had created anxiety, hesitation, or miscommunication, impacting the result of the interaction. Thus, to the misperception an accent can create, they are often also given a lack of confidence.
How do we overcome this bias?
But if this is the case, we should not let it continue to undermine the results we want to achieve. When there is a realization that having a Hispanic accent (or any accent for that matter) is getting in the way of better business outcomes, there is a remedy: Invest the time and patience to improve it.
Taking classes on accent reduction does not require too much energy, but it does involve a lot of practice. Online learning has leapfrogged with COVID and it is available for every budget, anywhere and at any time of the day or night.
Speak More Clearly and Accent Reduction Now are few platforms that will connect you with a coach in no time. You can select them by language, experience, location, country of origin. Pricing is affordable, and you can have a free trial!
Related content:
Turn Your Latino Culture Into a Selling Advantage…Not Just Because You Speak Spanish
Creating an Inclusive Community without Losing Our Latinidad
