INFORMATION ABOUT INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

Unknownst to most Bearcats, Paso Robles High School (PRHS) has roots of Central American indigenous languages such as Purepecha, Mixteco, Nahuatl, and Zapoteco roaming its halls. Although the languages are not very publicized, they remain a strong part of Bearcat culture. 

In a 2023 study, Cuesta College & SLO’s Health Department partnered up to identify 8,000 indigenous people who stated that 82% of them lived in the Northern part of the county which includes Paso Robles, according to KSBY news. The study also showed that the majority spoke Mixteco at home. 

Mixteco is the most spoken Central American indigenous language in Paso Robles originating from Oaxaca, Mexico. The language itself is tonal, meaning that a single word can have different meanings depending on the pronunciation according to Rare Languages. 

Before Spanish Colonization, Mixteco served as one of the oldest linguistic languages not to be confused with the Aztec language—Nahuatl. However during the Spanish colonization, many indigenous people were forced to learn Spanish and this affected the language, Mixteco, making different variations of it. 

PRJUSD offers a Mixteco Parent Leaders Committee (MPLC) that is active and meets at the Flamson Lewis Junior High library every other month. Gabriela Clark, Founder of MPLC and District English Learner Coordinator, believes that learning and respecting indigenous languages helps build a more inclusive community for not only students but also parents. It serves as an important reminder to everybody that not everyone from Mexican ancestry speaks Spanish. 

Clark is a native Spanish speaker, born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to immigrant parents that migrated to the United States when she was 7-years-old. Clark highlights that her family history is what inspired her to help students and serve as the bilingual and district administrator. 

She’s met several students who speak indigenous languages, the majority of them speaking Mixteco. Clark believes that validating their home language and using it as an asset helps them make the transition between languages much smoother. 

“We can do this by building connections, encouraging teachers to use visuals and technology to make concepts accessible across languages,” Clark said.. 

At PRHS, Spanish support is available in classrooms, but unfortunately there are no educators who are fluent in Mixteco. As the District English Learner Coordinator, Clark promotes the opportunities of career education when meeting community members who speak Mixteco. 

“Hiring more trilingual staff would be wonderful, it would help Mixteco-speaking students access core instruction in their native language while they develop English proficiency,” Clark said, noting a disparity in the school district’s support.

There is also a nonprofit Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) in Paso Robles that supports indigenous communities with workshops, fun events, and resources. The nonprofit has four locations: Oxford Downtown, Oxford Headquarters, Santa Maria, and Paso Robles.

Starting this school year, MICOP partnered up with PRJUSD to provide the new MPLC at Flamson Lewis Middle School and provide educational resources. The district also has a contract with the SLO County Office of Ed to provide Mixteco Interpretation services for parent meetings and school events; these requests can be made by contacting Clark. 

Senior Anadelia Esteban-Galvez, a fluent Mixteco speaker, explains that most indigenous speakers don’t have the confidence to speak it aloud because they’re afraid of mockery. Esteban-Galvez shares that Mixteco is the only language spoken at home, a rule set by her parents.

However, knowing how to read and write it is challenging since most students who know how come directly from Mexico with exposure to the language. In Mexico, specifically in Oaxaca, there are educational programs who teach the language and focus on providing support with the alphabet.

 The written form has their own logographic form that means they have symbols to represent entire words according to Omniglot, an online encyclopedia for indigenous languages. 

Esteban-Galvez began learning English when she was four years old at her preschool and stumbled upon the difficulty of learning another language early. Although it was a huge challenge to navigate both English and Mixteco, it has helped her communicate with so many other indigenous community members.

“I have encountered people who only speak Mixteco and they’re always so grateful when I’m able to help them,” Esteban-Galvez said.

Although she expresses she’s alright with the limited resources that PRJUSD offers, she has heard Mixteco speaking parents wishing there were more tutors or workshops in Mixteco that explained how the educational system works. Most have no idea about the opportunities after high school: college, trade school, or apprenticeship. 

Esteban-Galvez is planning to visit Mexico during the summer where she hopes to practice her Mixteco. Since she’s been taught how to speak it verbally her entire life, she hopes she’ll be able to communicate just fine. 

Despite Spanish being universally known as the primary language spoken in Mexico, indigenous languages remain vital and essential to the identity of many communities representing their nation’s history and centuries of tradition. Highlighting its importance to expand services and resources that support and promote the preservation of indigenous languages within the community.