By John Marks, Curator
Have you ever paused to consider what we accept as normal about the English language? The same combination of letters – like through, though, and trough – are pronounced entirely differently. There are multiple words with different pronunciations based on context: tear, read, and lead to name a few. An internet meme summed it up as, “English is what happens when Vikings shout at Germans in Latin, and then the French get involved.”
Geneva’s immigrants have made sense of this confusing mess with the help of a number of women. (Women’s History Month aside, women are most often mentioned in newspaper accounts.) During World War II, Mexican workers, though here temporarily, wanted to learn English. The YMCA offered a series of English classes beginning in July 1944. Anna Dickinson, Mrs. William Holt, and Blanche Wadsworth taught two hours of conversational English. The eight men from Mexico City included a policeman, mechanic, bank clerk, and journalist.
Born in Italy in 1900, Lucy Glunz moved to Argentina during World War I. She and her husband William came to Geneva in 1936. Fluent in Italian and Spanish, Lucy taught English to immigrants for many years. Advocating for the Puerto Rican community was a special interest. She also taught English to Puerto Rican children at St. Francis DeSales elementary school, years before it became a standard part of schools. Lucy translated between patients and health care professionals, and amongst police, lawyers, judges, and people charged with a crime. She was named Geneva Woman of the Year twice, received the League of Women Voters Agnes Slosson Lewis medal, and was commended by the Puerto Rican governor for her service.
Viacita Fowler was very involved in local business and politics, which Becky Chapin wrote about in 2020. Born in Mexico City, she was fluent in Spanish. She taught the Geneva High School Latin teacher Spanish so that the class could be added to the curriculum. Like Lucy, Viacita was a translator for the police department. She also taught Spanish at Adult Night School; there may have been a demand as the post-World War II Hispanic population grew.
Bolivia native Rosario Millington moved to Geneva when her husband Tom began teaching at Hobart & William Smith Colleges. Like others before her, she has provided translation services. In the 1980s fourth-grade teacher Becky Addona asked Rosario if she would volunteer in her classroom. A Puerto Rican student who spoke no English had been in class temporarily and the children wanted to learn Spanish. Rosario taught the class conversational Spanish and Hispanic culture.
These are just a few short stories of women who have helped teach English and Spanish to adults and children to bridge language gaps. Historic Geneva welcomes more stories, and additions and corrections to the ones I’ve written here.
See also: The Spanish Association of the Finger Lakes
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One Response
Thank you John.
Good to learn that already in the 1930s and 1940s women who spoke both English and Spanish taught adult and children outside of regular school education.
I have seen Rosario Millington help Spanish adults also now in the 21st century.