I Don't Speak Spanish, But I Understand Everything When I'm Dancing!
Published by Authors on Mission
About the Book
When Rodney Eric López was a child, he overheard his mother say, "Hable en español para que él no entienda" - "Speak in Spanish so he won't understand."
That single moment crystallized a lifetime of Latino identity confusion. Raised in the Bronx, he was taught to navigate the world in English, but left feeling like the son who was never enough - constantly battling the fear that he could never fully connect with his own lineage.
Rodney's story is the lived experience of millions: Latinos grappling with the crushing pressure to perform a "perfect" identity. This Puerto Rican memoir reframes that struggle, arguing that language shame is not a personal deficit, but a structural outcome of xenophobic policies that forced a zero-sum choice between Spanish and success.
In this deeply personal social memoir, López blends vulnerable storytelling with a grounded investigation into the politics of language, race, and bilingual heritage. He transforms personal isolation into cultural critique, giving voice to a generation of No Sabo kids and adults who feel culturally unmoored - and showing them they are not alone.
Rodney's path to freedom came through Salsa dance - a culturally rooted art form born from the Caribbean diaspora. He reveals how social dance is a powerful, nonverbal language, a conversation of history and resilience spoken entirely with the body. Becoming a native Salsa dancer allowed him to bypass the shame of grammar and connect directly to his heritage and a deep sense of cultural belonging.
If you have ever felt "less than," this book is proof that the rich culture you seek is already encoded within you.
Let's dance!
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