Funds of Knowledge
by Gabriela del Villar
I don’t know nothing, Miss Berry says,
neither the English language nor
American ways.
I lower my eyes when she tells me
to stop day-dreaming.
She says it’ll take time
before I make meaning,
but that’s not true. I know Spanish
and Mexican ways.
In my family,
we grow tomates, cilantro, and chiles.
We raise chickens para comer.
and with the vegetables and
fresh eggs from the gallinas,
we make dollars to pay rent.
Miss, in English I don’t know it,
I say, but in español I know it well.
It would help if Miss Berry
hablara un poquito de español también.
—————————–
para comer: to eat
gallinas: hens
hablara un poquito de español también: could speak a little bit of Spanish as well
Reference
González, N., Moll, L.C. & Amanti, C. (2005). Funds of knowledge : Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Mahwah, N.J. : L. Erlbaum Associates.