Having read Aurora Levines Morales’ poem Child of the Americas, has brought a new aspect to light: that of being multi-lingual and therefore having a multicultural heritage. Having a multicultural heritage means that she can retain the best of what a particular country has to offer and discard what she dislikes.
The child of the Americas is partly American and partly Caribbean and yet is considered to be a US Puerto Rican Jew. She is a mixture of Spanish and American and speaks Spanglish. She is neither European nor American and sees herself as a whole new specimen of a new generation with new beginnings. Whereas before to me, a multicultural person was a person who was neither here nor there, now through this poem, I can understand where these people are coming from and how proud they are to be American and yet to retain their natural heritage.
I am a child of Malta,
A product of many nations,
I am Maltese, Italian, English, French,Arab.
All these have passed through my island,
All of them have left their mark.
All have left language and heritage behind on our island.
I speak English with a passion; it is my mother tongue,
A language I was brought up with.
I am Maltese, island grown, Malta is a part of me,
I act Maltese, I sometimes speak Maltese:
The language of many cultures,
The language of gesticulations.
I am Maltese but I speak English:
I speak from my soul.
I am not English.
I was never English.
I am not Anne.
I am Anna.
I speak in English.
But England is not my home.
I am part of a past generation. My first language is English.
I was born in Malta.
Which is my mother tongue?
English or Maltese?
