Language, Identity & Latino Politics

Beyond the No Sabo Kids

Can you be Latino without speaking Spanish? Does speaking the language make you more connected to your roots? And how does cultural identity influence political choices?

This Spanish Writing Workshop brings together two subjects we’ve been exploring in class: the No Sabo Kids phenomenon and Donald Trump’s complicated relationship with Hispanic voters.

Following our previous writing discussions about Trump’s appeal among Hispanic voters, we’ll take the conversation further, examining language, cultural identity, generational differences, and political belonging.

You don’t have to agree with anyone, including your instructor. But you should be prepared to explain what you think, support your arguments, and consider perspectives that might challenge your own.

Plan, Think, Write & Share

Writing in Spanish isn’t simply about putting grammatically correct sentences together. It’s about developing an idea, organizing your thoughts, finding the right words, and making an argument someone else can understand.

Our workshops follow a progressive writing process. Students work independently, develop successive drafts, and receive guidance from the instructor along the way.

From Classroom Discussions to Final Drafts

For this particular session, participants will build on the questions they’ve already answered manually and discussed in class about the No Sabo Kids phenomenon.

Their handwritten responses, classroom discussions, and individual arguments will become part of their final drafts. They’ll also have the opportunity to incorporate and expand upon their previous written work about Trump’s relationship with Hispanic voters, bringing both subjects together in a more comprehensive piece.

How Does the Process Work?

• Think before you write: Develop your ideas and organize your arguments around instructor-provided questions and prompts.
• Write independently: Work manually, using dictionaries and the instructor’s guidance when needed. The emphasis is on developing your own ideas, not relying on AI-generated answers or ready-made texts.
• Revise and improve: Work through successive drafts, refining your arguments, vocabulary, grammar, and written expression.
• Read and share: Present your final essay aloud, followed by questions and group discussion. Explain your reasoning, respond to different perspectives, and defend your arguments.

The objective isn’t necessarily to convince everyone you’re right. It’s to learn how to communicate your ideas effectively and participate in a meaningful exchange.

From Writing to Conversation

Writing and speaking aren’t the same skills, but they complement each other. When you write, you have more time to organize your thoughts, experiment with vocabulary, and become familiar with Spanish sentence structures. When you present your work, you put those skills into practice.

Your essay gives the conversation a starting point. What happens next depends on the ideas and people in the group.

With your permission, your finished essay may also be published on the Kasa de Franko website, under your name, in our student writing section. Publication is entirely optional and requires your approval.

Who Should Join?

These workshops are designed for intermediate and advanced Spanish learners who want to strengthen their written expression, develop more sophisticated arguments, and become more confident communicating their ideas.

You don’t need to be a professional writer, a grammar expert, or an authority on the subject. You do need to be willing to write, revise your work, read it aloud, and participate in the discussion that follows.

Whether you identify with the No Sabo Kids, have strong opinions about Latino identity, or simply enjoy questioning conventional assumptions, there’s room for your perspective.

📢 Join Us

Bring your ideas, your Spanish, and your willingness to challenge your own thinking.

You don’t have to agree with everyone. You don’t even have to agree with yourself by the end of the discussion!

Come ready to think, write, share, and discover that the relationship between language, identity, and politics may be considerably more complicated than it first appears.

¡Escribe, comparte, hablemos!

👥 Group Size Policy

🕗 1 attendee: 07:00 p.m. – 07:45 p.m.
🕗 2 attendees: 07:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.
🕗 3+ attendees: 07:00 p.m. – 08:30 p.m.

Note: Assignment instructions and draft deadlines will be communicated separately.