Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Jilly_in_VA

(13,570 posts)
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 11:16 AM Nov 13

Rep. Adelita Grijalva code-switches in first remarks after sworn in

The granddaughter of a bracero, who waited 50 days to take her seat in Congress, Rep. Adelita Grijalva stepped to the podium on the House floor and told her colleagues, "Our democracy works when everyone has a voice."

“Este momento es histórico para nuestra comunidad,” Grijalva said in Spanish, offering no translation to her hundreds of colleagues on the House floor. “Es un honor ser la primera latina en representar a Arizona en el congreso.” (“This is a historic moment for our community,” she said. “It is an honor to be the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress.)

During her roughly five-minute speech, Grijalva seamlessly switched between English and Spanish, a commonality for many who grew up along the U.S.-Mexico border, when speaking to her colleagues while also directing some of her remarks to the Latino community.

Code-switching is the practice of selectively switching between languages during a conversation, a phenomenon that's deeply familiar to bilingual and multilingual people in the U.S.

Grijalva, who won a special election to replace Rep. Raúl Grijalva, her late father, is the first Latina – and “first Chicana,” as she said — to represent the state of Arizona in Congress. Though she is the first, she said she won’t be the last.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/12/rep-adelita-grijalva-code-switches-in-first-remarks-after-sworn-in/87238810007/

And this is a bad thing exactly HOW? BTW, to the USA Today reporter, there are a number of other Latino Congress members, so STFU. I'm sure they understood her just fine and so did Li'l Marco an a couple of senators.

48 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Rep. Adelita Grijalva code-switches in first remarks after sworn in (Original Post) Jilly_in_VA Nov 13 OP
Bi-lingual is the word they are looking for? pwb Nov 13 #1
Code-switching is a well-known part of language/linguistics obamanut2012 Nov 13 #2
I thought code switching Boo1 Nov 13 #5
Agreed... bilingual is a much more accurate word. Shipwack Nov 13 #11
No. Language, dialect, and language style Dear_Prudence Nov 13 #18
I didn't even know it had a name... Hugin Nov 13 #6
Having spoken both English and Spanish all my life, often switching seamlessly from one language to the other sop Nov 13 #20
I've never heard it called code-switching... ananda Nov 13 #33
Code-switching is less about speaking two different languages and more about *how* those languages are spoken WhiskeyGrinder Nov 13 #3
"Adelante, mi gente." Beautiful. chia Nov 13 #4
I was fervently hoping Adelita would speak some Spanish! sdfernando Nov 13 #7
Wait. Do they call it that when Mamdani does it? leftstreet Nov 13 #8
I thought she was speaking Californian. usonian Nov 13 #9
I thought code switching róisín_dubh Nov 13 #10
I think the last time I saw it criticized was when Obama did it speaking at a HBC... vanlassie Nov 13 #34
Been watching Canadian news recently rurallib Nov 13 #12
They switch in and out of French and English all the time, we are used to it. Bev54 Nov 13 #28
She is well named. dobleremolque Nov 13 #13
I have wondered Jilly_in_VA Nov 13 #14
I don't think about it any more. DFW Nov 13 #15
I wish I knew different languages! yardwork Nov 13 #38
I had a somewhat similar experience when I lived in Spain DFW Nov 13 #39
You can go to Okracoke Island to hear Elizabethan! yardwork Nov 14 #43
Yup. OldBaldy1701E Nov 14 #44
I never knew that! yardwork Nov 14 #46
Eaxctly. DFW Nov 14 #48
I haven't heard it called code switching IronLionZion Nov 13 #16
I sure don't see any problem with it. Susan Calvin Nov 13 #17
Never, ever heard 'code-switching' before. In TX, it's often called Spanglish. Torchlight Nov 13 #19
This message was self-deleted by its author PeaceWave Nov 13 #22
It also carries a benign connotation Torchlight Nov 13 #23
I tend to use Denglish Old Crank Nov 13 #25
We sometimes do that when it's just my wife and I DFW Nov 13 #40
Yes it is. Old Crank Nov 14 #41
HCR used "code switching" to describe another event LittleGirl Nov 13 #21
My wires are getting crossed. Old Crank Nov 13 #24
As we already know, Wednesdays Nov 13 #26
I wish I knew Spanish. Studied Latin and French in HS. Maybe still time. twodogsbarking Nov 13 #27
Span-gluage Javaman Nov 13 #29
I thought it was absolutely beautiful. byronius Nov 13 #30
The usage of "code-switching" here seems strange to me. Oneironaut Nov 13 #31
She delivered her talk in English and then alternatively translated to Spanish. sprinkleeninow Nov 13 #32
I don't think she translated into Spanish. Ms. Toad Nov 14 #42
lol. ecstatic Nov 13 #35
I have a heart condition. Scared me, thought it meant she switched her EPSTEIN vote! UTUSN Nov 13 #36
Good for her. yardwork Nov 13 #37
Muy bueno! (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Nov 14 #45
Personally, I have no issue with going to 'cityspeak'. OldBaldy1701E Nov 14 #47

Boo1

(55 posts)
5. I thought code switching
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 11:30 AM
Nov 13

Was changing speech or other mannerisms based on social context. Like speaking Spanish at home but then English at school, or dropping your accent for a Midwestern one, etc. Something done to blend in with the people around you and conform to them.

This sounds more like blending for rhetorical impact

Shipwack

(2,925 posts)
11. Agreed... bilingual is a much more accurate word.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:44 PM
Nov 13

Maybe the writer wanted to sound smart, or the editor make what she did sound ominous….

Dear_Prudence

(928 posts)
18. No. Language, dialect, and language style
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:12 PM
Nov 13

All fall under the definition of code-switching. Linguists study the why, what, and where of code-switching. I thought the representative's switching was appropriate, giving voice to the constituents who had had no voice due to that swine failing to swear her into office. Capiche?

Hugin

(37,167 posts)
6. I didn't even know it had a name...
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 11:37 AM
Nov 13

It’s been a part of my every day life and not limited to Español.

“Que cute! Que cheap!”

sop

(16,957 posts)
20. Having spoken both English and Spanish all my life, often switching seamlessly from one language to the other
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:20 PM
Nov 13

in social and business settings as required, I've never heard it called "code-switching." I imagine if one also alters their behavior and mannerisms along with the language, as a way of fitting in with certain groups in certain situations, It could be referred to as "code-switching," but not for simply speaking both languages at the same time. That's just being bilingual.

WhiskeyGrinder

(26,010 posts)
3. Code-switching is less about speaking two different languages and more about *how* those languages are spoken
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 11:27 AM
Nov 13

(dialects, accents, slang, different grammars) and when those variants are used.

chia

(2,725 posts)
4. "Adelante, mi gente." Beautiful.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 11:27 AM
Nov 13

Living my entire life in SoCal not far from the border, this sounds like home. Congratulations to her, and may she go far!

sdfernando

(5,976 posts)
7. I was fervently hoping Adelita would speak some Spanish!
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:13 PM
Nov 13

I was not disappointed!

¡Felicidades Representante Grijalva!

leftstreet

(38,479 posts)
8. Wait. Do they call it that when Mamdani does it?
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:23 PM
Nov 13

He incorporated non-English language in his victory night speech

usonian

(22,644 posts)
9. I thought she was speaking Californian.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:23 PM
Nov 13

Come on people, let's have USONA, The United States of North America.

Besides the U.S. and Canada,


(21)
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago

https://www.countries-ofthe-world.com/countries-of-north-america.html

róisín_dubh

(12,186 posts)
10. I thought code switching
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:28 PM
Nov 13

Was about accent or mannerisms whilst speaking. I’m bi-lingual (English and Spanish), but I’m NOT from a Spanish-speaking ethnicity, and would not consider it code-switching when I speak Spanish.
I do, however, consider it code-switching when I switch from my native NJ accented English to my British vocabulary-based English, which I do constantly when I’m home in the UK or back visiting my family in the US. My family thinks my British-isms are dumb and snobbish.

vanlassie

(6,198 posts)
34. I think the last time I saw it criticized was when Obama did it speaking at a HBC...
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 02:19 PM
Nov 13

The reporter made it sound negative here too, I think.

Bev54

(13,061 posts)
28. They switch in and out of French and English all the time, we are used to it.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:55 PM
Nov 13

The major news networks have interpreters who will fill in for the most part during speeches or pressers.

dobleremolque

(1,086 posts)
13. She is well named.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:46 PM
Nov 13
Adelitas was a nickname used for the women soldiers in the 1910 Mexican revolution. She'll bring some fighting spirit to the job.

DFW

(59,427 posts)
15. I don't think about it any more.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 12:54 PM
Nov 13

When I met Rep. Grijalva’s dad, I never once thought to speak English. I have to assume he was fluent, but didn’t think it necessary to find out. When speaking Castilian (we don’t usually call it “Spanish” in Spain, since it is not the only language spoken there), I naturally revert to a “peninsular” accent, since it is what I spoke when living and going to school there. I can try to approximate a Latin American accent, but first off, there are many distinctive ones, and I’m sure it comes across to native Latin American ears like a Brit making a poor attempt at sounding like a Yank.

It’s the same thing in other places. In Sweden, I’m sometimes told that I need another two years before they can no longer tell that I’m from Norway, and in NL, I’m told that I’ve almost lost my accent, but if they listen closely, they can still hear a trace of the Afrikaans accent that identifies me as someone who grew up in South Africa (a place I have never been).

My favorite misconception is when I’m in Barcelona speaking Catalan, and some people can tell by the way I speak Catalan gives away my identity as someone from Mallorca. I’ve been there, but it was for four days, and that was in 1969. My favorite episode was when I was with a group of Catalan speakers at a conference in Zürich, and one of them said he had assumed I was from Mallorca, and then another guy, who WAS from Mallorca said, “ so did I!”

yardwork

(68,622 posts)
38. I wish I knew different languages!
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 03:51 PM
Nov 13

I've never been good at any but English.

I will share an amusing experience I had last summer visiting a friend in Biarritz. He was born and raised in Paris but looks like his Jewish Spanish ancestors. We were seated at a sidewalk cafe and I said bonjour to the hostess. She could, of course, immediately tell that I don't know a word of French, but the appearance of my companion in this Basque city threw her off, so she began talking with us in Spanish. My friend is also fluent in Spanish and responded that they could speak either language, all the same to him, but I was going to be clueless in both!

We had a lovely meal. Basque food is awesome.

DFW

(59,427 posts)
39. I had a somewhat similar experience when I lived in Spain
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 06:52 PM
Nov 13

I met my first Sephardic when I was still living in Barcelona as a teenager. He said he had grown up in Turkey, but had this old version of Castilian as a mother tongue. He was the one who first told me about the Sephardics, Ladino, and how their antiquated Castilian was so very close to the modern version. I was amazed, because I knew that I were to run into someone who could only speak contemporary Shakespearian English, I wouldn’t understand a word. It was as big a revelation to me as when, a few years later, I met my first live Assyrians. For me, that was like seeing a Stegosaurus munching on plants in some zoo enclosure. I knew they HAD existed. I just never thought I would ever meet one.

OldBaldy1701E

(9,588 posts)
44. Yup.
Fri Nov 14, 2025, 09:16 AM
Nov 14

'Banker brogue' is still common out there.

My favorite word out there is 'time'. Because, they pronounce it 'toime'.

(Get a Banker to tell you 'Go down to the brown house.' sometime.)

Oh, if you want to hear some of it, just go check out 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. Tim Curry is using what he called a 'posh, Chelsea accent'. It sounds very much like Banker brogue at times. Especially the words 'around' and 'sound'.

DFW

(59,427 posts)
48. Eaxctly.
Fri Nov 14, 2025, 11:12 AM
Nov 14

When I met them, and made them repeat it three times, I then asked, "you mean like Ashurbannipal and Ziggurats?" They smiled big wide smiles, and said, "yeah, that's us! So you've heard of us." I said, "of course I've heard of you, but I didn't know that you guys were still around 2500 years later!"

By the way, my wife speaks Elizabethan English. It has a heavy German accent, and tends to substitute German words when there doesn't seem to be an adequate English expression ready. (Her name is Elisabeth)

IronLionZion

(50,427 posts)
16. I haven't heard it called code switching
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:02 PM
Nov 13

speaking 2 languages is a good thing and common in many households. She has Spanish speaking constituents so it's very inclusive.

So of course MAGA is against such things as "Unamerican".

Susan Calvin

(2,383 posts)
17. I sure don't see any problem with it.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:09 PM
Nov 13

And I got her first couple of sentences fine, just on my long ago high school Spanish and words that were similar to the same words in English.

Torchlight

(6,152 posts)
19. Never, ever heard 'code-switching' before. In TX, it's often called Spanglish.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:20 PM
Nov 13

One sentence in English, the next in Spanish and then alternating back and forth is really common around here and I don't think anyone south of the Red River bats an eye at it.

However, if her remarks opens a few sincere eyes... or causes consternation among the swath of poorly educated conservatives in congress, I'm all for it!

Response to Torchlight (Reply #19)

Torchlight

(6,152 posts)
23. It also carries a benign connotation
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:32 PM
Nov 13

suggesting fluency and adaptability in both languages, hence its common usage south of Red River.

Old Crank

(6,453 posts)
25. I tend to use Denglish
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:36 PM
Nov 13

Deutsch and English.
Especially true for technical and maintenance issues. I don't know all the hardware related terms.

DFW

(59,427 posts)
40. We sometimes do that when it's just my wife and I
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 07:11 PM
Nov 13

If German has a better word for what we’re trying to say, we use it. If English has a better word or expression, we use that. Starting out point is always German, though, since when we met, her English was rudimentary, so we’ve always spoken German to each other. With our daughters, we always spoke our native languages to them, and now they can both switch effortlessly back and forth, even in mid-sentence. It’s the same with all four grand children. From ages 2.5 to 7, they can all understand and speak both contemporary American English and standard High German. I failed in convincing our son-in-law and our sister-in-law to speak their native languages with their children. I was SOOOO disappointed! Our nephews would have been fluent in Japanese, and our NYC grandsons would have been fluent in Russian. What an incredible FREE gift to take away from them!!!

Old Crank

(6,453 posts)
41. Yes it is.
Fri Nov 14, 2025, 01:10 AM
Nov 14

We have family friends who decided to speak Spanish at home and the children spoke English at school. Both kids, now adults, have essentially 2 mother tongues.

I will never even approximate that. I'm just happy to get along. With my hearing issues I have real troubles discriminating German sounds. It might be better if I had full immersion. Trying to get people to speak a bit slower doesn't work. Lauter ist nicht langsammer....

LittleGirl

(8,916 posts)
21. HCR used "code switching" to describe another event
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:28 PM
Nov 13

when Jasmine Crocket code switched by using "ghetto type" slang in her speech.

I think bi-lingual would have best described the Congresswoman's speech. She did use a slang word for Latina so I guess you could say she did both. Code switch and spoke both languages - bi-lingual.

I was just happy to hear the speech and be able to understand the Spanish parts which was confirmed with the English translation. She won't be the last! Whoo hoo!

Old Crank

(6,453 posts)
24. My wires are getting crossed.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:33 PM
Nov 13

English, Canadian, being my first language. I now drop into German on occasion depending, followed by French and Greek.
I really admire people who can converse fluently in more than one language.

We had a friend who essentially had 2 mother tongues. English and Spanish. Even if you couldn't hear him you knew when he was speaking Spanish from his body language. Amazing.

Javaman

(64,949 posts)
29. Span-gluage
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 01:58 PM
Nov 13

when I first worked out in Los Angeles, it was "Span-gluge" that started my road to speaking Spanish.

it was very common out there and served me well when working construction.

Oneironaut

(6,160 posts)
31. The usage of "code-switching" here seems strange to me.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 02:07 PM
Nov 13

I could be wrong, but, code switching to me has a deeper meaning - often negative. I’ve always understood it as changing your behavior, presentation, etc. to “fit in” in places that aren’t 100% accepting. It could be that I have a different understanding of it, but, the spirit of, “She was code-switching - isn’t that great!?” seems like the word could be misused in this article.

However, I could also be wrong, and, maybe it’s used in a positive way like this? I’ve never heard it used that way before.

sprinkleeninow

(21,830 posts)
32. She delivered her talk in English and then alternatively translated to Spanish.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 02:07 PM
Nov 13

I had no clue what this code switching was. Sounded negative. What can we expect from the M$M. They have a knack for conflation.

(Not posting too much anymore due to 'stuff', but this pushed my delicate buttons.)

Ms. Toad

(37,998 posts)
42. I don't think she translated into Spanish.
Fri Nov 14, 2025, 01:57 AM
Nov 14

What was reported, at least, was that she was speaking alternately in two languages, without translating one into the other.

ecstatic

(34,986 posts)
35. lol.
Thu Nov 13, 2025, 02:23 PM
Nov 13

**insert eyeroll**

I loved her speech, especially now that I've seen the clip of magamike attempting to butter her up before her speech. She shredded him.

I also loved the first few injections of Spanish but I think the final injection was a little overboard (I think when addressing her kids?). Like, ok, we get it.

Overall it was a wonderful speech. I'm glad to see a new fighter joining the ranks.

OldBaldy1701E

(9,588 posts)
47. Personally, I have no issue with going to 'cityspeak'.
Fri Nov 14, 2025, 09:50 AM
Nov 14

(See 'Blade Runner')

It is a mishmash of several languages. Some areas already do a version of it. ('Texican' comes to mind. BTW, that is what my friend from Austin called it.)

I hope she does it every time she address Congress. The fact that they would lose their crap over it is why I would love it.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Rep. Adelita Grijalva cod...