English con Salsa

Welcome to English class, English surely Latinized,

Ingles con Chile y cilantro, English as American as Benito Juarez.

Welcome, muchachos from Xochimiltco, learn the language of dolares and dolores,

of kings and queens, of Donald duck and Batman.

Holy Toluca! In four months, you'll be speaking like George Washington,

In four weeks you can say "May I take your order?"

In one year you can ask for a raise, cool as the Tuxpan river.

Welcome, muchachas from Teocaltiche,

in this class we speak English refrito,

English con sal y limon, English as thick as mango juice,

English poured from a clay jug,

English tuned like a requinto from Uruapan,

English lighted by Oaxacan dawns, English spiked with mezcal from Juchitan,

English with a red cactus flower blooming in its heart.

Welcome, welcome, amigos del sur,

bring your Zapotec tongues, your Nahuatl tones,

your patience of pyramids, your red suns and golden moons,

your guardian angels, your duendes, your patron saints,

Santa Tristeza, Santa Alegria, Santo Todolopuede.

We will sprinkle holy water on pronouns,

make the sign of the cross on past participles,

jump like fish from Lake Patzcuaro on gerunds,

pour tequila from Jalisco on future perfects,

say shoes and shit, grab a cool verb and a pollo loco

and dance on the walls like chapulines.

When a teacher from La Jolla or a cowboy from Santee asks, do you speak English? you'll answer, "SI", "YES", "SIMON", "OF COURSE". I love English! And you'll hum a Mixtec chant that touches la tierra and the heavens