Life & English: ESL class and Hispanic friends

ESL means English Second Language. In the US, I studied English in an ESL class at the Public Library. Our ESL class was very interesting.

After several months studying with Hispanic friends who came from Latin American countries, I knew that several hundred years ago Spain was truly the world's most powerful empire of maritime navigation. The most of southern America, still known as Latin America, was Spanish colony, and Spanish language was their official language. Some US territories like Puerto Rico still use Spanish as their primary language.

I read more and knew more that the colonies of Britan were not much in the 18th century. After the Declaration of Independence, July 4 - 1776, the US developed. Americans bought more colonial lands from Holland, Spain, Portugal, France… Also, Americans bought Alaska area from the Russians in 1867. Alaska became a state of the US. This state was the neighbor area of Canada and separated the rest of the United States. Texas, in particular, was a large Mexican state then it separated itself from Mexico and becames a US voluntarily state.

Hispanic dishes

Our ESL class usually hold potlucks. Students of ESL class brought some dishes they cooked themselves. Dishes of Hispanic friends were Hispanic cuisine. Their meals were little spicy and large serving. It seemed that Hispanic cuisine was a mix of Spanish and native. Spanish cuisine and Hispanic cuisine were different to simple styles of cuisine in Northern Europe such as Sweden, Holland, or finical cuisine of France and Italy… Some of Hispanic friends’ dishes were very delicious. I asked and knew that some students of our ESL class were chefs or owners of Mexican restaurants.

Today in the United States, many Hispanic Americans are making their career by opening restaurants. Their food became popular meals for Americans and many people living in the US.

Quy Minh