"I grew up speaking both languages, and for me that's really important"
About this Quote
The second clause does the heavier lifting: “for me that’s really important.” It’s a modest phrase that carries a quiet insistence. Secada isn’t arguing that bilingualism is inherently noble or exotic; he’s staking a claim against the pressure to choose. Pop culture often treats language as branding - the “Latin” track, the English single, the strategically placed verse. Secada’s subtext pushes back: the split isn’t strategic, it’s personal. The emotional charge is about belonging and permission, the right to sound like your life actually sounds.
Contextually, he comes of age in a Miami diaspora ecosystem where code-switching is normal and music is a social passport. For a singer who navigated the 1990s crossover machine, this line reads like a refusal to let industry narratives rewrite his roots. It’s also a subtle answer to fans and gatekeepers alike: if his voice moves between languages, it’s not a detour. It’s home.
Quote Details
| Topic | Life |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Secada, Jon. (2026, January 16). I grew up speaking both languages, and for me that's really important. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-grew-up-speaking-both-languages-and-for-me-133580/
Chicago Style
Secada, Jon. "I grew up speaking both languages, and for me that's really important." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-grew-up-speaking-both-languages-and-for-me-133580/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I grew up speaking both languages, and for me that's really important." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-grew-up-speaking-both-languages-and-for-me-133580/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

