Dear Editor,
I am a Spanish-speaking student native of Panama. I appreciated the article titled “No Comprenda” in the Tuesday, Jan. 31, issue detailing the difficulties experienced by Spanish-speaking individuals on a daily basis.
However, I found mistakes that are indicative of the lack of cultural understanding of the many diverse nationalities that are Spanish-speaking by using the phrase “Hispanic patients.”
Also, the title “No Comprenda” is not used correctly – in this sense it should be “No Comprendo.”
ETSU has an excellent foreign language department and the Spanish program is working hard to bridge the cultural and language gaps.
If you have any further questions concerning the use of the word “Hispanic” or any other uses of the Spanish language please contact Dr. S. Palmer. Thank you for your attention.
Belgica Holt

Author