Zizi Asfour
Benefits of Being Bilingual
Being bilingual truly enriches my life and broadens my horizons and ability to learn from and understand others each day. I’m very excited to share with everyone that not only am I bilingual but I am also biliterate and multicultural. My father is from Egypt and my mother from America. Growing up in Argentina has really shaped the way I think, speak, eat, and communicate with others.
It is exciting to know that by speaking in English and in Spanish I can communicate with over 80% of the people around the globe. Isn’t that mind blowing! Just knowing one extra language allows me to get to know so many amazing people. I love to learn about the life experiences of others. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world and getting to know their likes and dislikes. Being a foodie I love tasting foods from around the globe. Fully immersing myself in the culture when I travel helps me to relate to others and truly understand their way of life. There are so many things to learn from others. This becomes like an adventure for me!
Being multicultural living in Houston, Texas is amazing as well. Did you know that Houston is the third largest city in the nation, and the most Multicultural city in the United States? Did you know that Houston is 50% Hispanic? This has allowed me to communicate with families that other people cannot communicate with. No matter what language they speak, when I have the privilege to finally get through to the families I work with I learned that we all want the same things for our children. We want a better life for them and opportunities for them to grow.Being bilingual has allowed me to see that all families have a lot in common no matter what language they grew up learning or what country they grew up in.
It’s been an honor to work with Spanish speaking families all over Houston and seeing them grow as families and as a community. At the end of the day, it’s all about empowering the child to be the best that they can be. I am proud to be bilingual because I can help be the bridge between parents and the community. It is beautiful to people of different backgrounds working together in harmony. Teaching parents to be advocates for their children means everything to me! Being bilingual truly enriches my life and helps me to make amazing connections all over the world. Even if you can just learn a few phrases in another language, I guarantee you will help someone feel more comfortable and understood in their new home.