Many evenings, Mirna and Jose Castillo can be found at the Literary Council of Prince George’s County, interpreting for Spanish-speaking immigrants. It has been 30 years since they arrived here from Guatemala, but they have never forgotten what it was like to land in a strange, new place without knowing the language or culture.

Mirna still remembers her first job in America as a nanny, when she thought instructions for defrosting a chicken meant to put a costume on it. “I didn’t know any English,” said Mirna, “I didn’t understand what they were telling me.”

Today both Mirna and Jose are fluent and help support themselves by helping other immigrants to learn. It’s a job, they explain, but also a calling.

As of the last Census’ American Community Survey, there were an estimated 15,000 residents in Maryland who spoke little or no English.

“I see myself in them,” said Jose, “That’s why I like to help them.”

First Encounters

Jose and Mirna didn’t think much about each other when they were attending the same junior high school in Guatemala. “We weren’t friends in Guatemala,” said Jose.

Both their fathers worked together in the church, but Jose and Mirna only knew each other by sight. Their relationship was limited to casual greetings in the school hallways. “‘Bye. Hi. How are you?’ That’s it,” said Jose.

Then Mirna’s family moved to a different city and the two forgot about each other.

Coming to America

After graduating from high school in Guatemala in December 1981, Mirna and her sister decided to visit their brothers in D.C. By June of 1982, Mirna started taking classes to learn English.

Four years later, Jose came to America.

“I’m a traveler,” said Jose, “Since I was a child I wanted to explore and go to other countries.”

Jose said he applied to other countries and embassies for a tourist visa, including Canada and Mexico, before applying to America. However, America was the only country that granted him one. “I decided to stay here because I saw good opportunities,” said Jose.

Jose landed in Los Angeles at age 24 before moving out to Maryland, where he saw Mirna for the first time in 13 years at a church in Takoma Park. “We recognized each other and became friends right away,” said Jose. “It seemed to me like we knew each other from a long, long time ago,” said Mirna.

After six months, the friendship grew and, “We couldn’t hide our feelings,” said Jose.

A year and a half later, Jose proposed and the two got married. “Your heart tells you what to do. You cannot say no,” said Jose.

The Language Barrier

When Mirna first came to Maryland from Guatemala at age 19, she realized the limitations she had not knowing the English language.

“You know, I would have liked to work…as a secretary or a receptionist or do something instead of cleaning or working as a babysitter,” said Mirna, who ended up taking a nanny job during her first few years in America.

“You have to learn the language, if you wanna get a better job,” said Mirna.

Before starting work, Mirna said, “I studied like a full-time…high school student from January to June.”

The family that Mirna worked for from 1982 to 1984 ended up sponsoring her green card and didn’t require her to know English. In fact, she said, “They were even…more interested in the child I was taking care of learning Spanish.”

Jose also experienced limitations with the language barrier. “I couldn’t do car mechanics because I couldn’t communicate,” said Jose. Jose had a background in both car mechanics and agriculture in Guatemala but because of his limited English, he ended up going into construction, which he continues to do now.

“I knew the language was going to be a big, big challenge,” said Jose, who started taking English classes the day after he arrived in America. “We have to learn the language in order to do better in our lives,” he said. “I’m still learning. My English is still not 100 percent.”

**Continue reading the story here

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