*I think I may have been able to spell it, under pressure. Not when I was 13 years old though. VL
By Yra Simón, Remezcla
At the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee – where kid geniuses show off their impressive knowledge of words – Nihar Saireddy Janga and Jairam Jagadeesh Hathwar clinched the title and became the third consecutive co-champions. When the competition hit the final round, Nihar could have won the title since his competitor was the first to misspell a word.
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Nihar, who throughout the competition flaunted his mastery over the French language, ended up with ayacahuite, a Mexican tree.
After asking the basic spelling bee questions . . . READ MORE
Yara Simón is a Miami-born Nica-Cubana living in NYC. She is the trending editor at Remezcla. @sarayimon [Photo courtesy of Remezcla]
Suggested reading
In Mi sueño de América / My American Dream, young Yuliana Gallegos recalls her move from Monterrey, Mexico, to Houston, Texas. Initially excited about moving to Houston, where the huge freeways make her feel like she’s on a roller coaster, her excitement quickly wanes when she starts school.
Everything is different at Yuli’s new school, and her discomfort is magnified by her classmates’ stares. “They looked me up and down as if I was from another planet and not from another country.” And to make matters worse, she learns that in spite of studying English in Mexico, she can’t understand anything that’s being said. All she wants to do is go back to her school in Monterrey.
Yuli poignantly records the fear and anguish experienced by all immigrant children as they strive to adjust to a new language and culture. With the help of a compassionate teacher, a Japanese girl who becomes her friend, and her own determination to excel at school, Yuli gradually learns to speak English and feel comfortable in her new environment.
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