Dear reader,

When you pick up a fiction book by a bicultural/bilingual author, there are a few things to know. The author has to balance between being accessible and being true to their cultural milieu. The frequency of the language you read that is other than

1/

English was painstakingly thought out. They used that phrase or word because English just wouldn’t do to convey meaning while being authentic. In fact, you’re reading about 25%-50% of the LOTE (language other than English) that the author would have used if they were

2/

being absolutely true to their own bicultural bilingual setting. They are striving for universality while also being true to their experience. Their characters who code switch do this because people in the author’s lives do it as well. They listen to others speak in the LOTE

3/

and respond in English and vice versa. It is what they’ve always known. So reviews/comments like ‘too much Spanish,’ ‘Real people don’t talk like this,’ etc. do not take into account the work it took to get that balance just right for speakers of both languages.

Thanks!