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Caption: Preserving a Language Miles Away From Home By Constanza Gallardo
Caption: A Mixtec community in Staten Island fights to preserve it's indigenous language thousands of miles away from home.
Earlier this year, the group had a series of workshops to teach people basic Mixtec vocabulary.
Due to the lack of financial resources, the workshops were canceled. Now, Mixtec adults try to teach their language to the next generation at home.
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Caption: Magnolia and Marlene attended the workshop earlier this year.
*Swipe to continue video.
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Caption: Since Magnolia moved to the U.S. back in 2003, she has forgotten how to speak Mixtec.
But she hopes to preserve the language by teaching her daughter some basic words she remembers.
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Caption: Magnolia and Marlene outside their home in Staten Island.
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Caption: 17% of Mexicans in New York speak an indigenous language.
And 61% of those speak Mixtec. Mexican Consulate in New York City. (2014)
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Caption: Ortega says the Mixtec community in the U.S. and Mexico should be proud of their roots and should not lose their native language.
"It's a relic from our parents that should not be lost," she says.
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Caption: Ortega only remembers how to write a few words in Mixtec now.
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Caption: They use a Mixtec dictionary with translations in Spanish and English to practice the language.
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Caption: From generation to generation Ortega learned Mixtec from her mother. In Mexico, many indigenous people learn their native language through their elders—not in school.
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Caption: Marlene's sisters, who live in Mexico, don't know how to speak Mixtec because their mother left when they were very young.
That's why Ortega hopes Marlene can preserve the language.
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Caption: Today... Due to insufficient funds, the local organization can't host more language workshops.
Yet Ortega hopes technology can help the community, and the next generations preserve the language.
Caption: "Vamos A Aprender Mixteco" is a new app created to teach Mixtec. It's available online for IPhones and Androids.
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Caption: For now, Marlene says she enjoys learning new words from her mother.