123. Speaking Aymara, Quechua & Bolivian Spanish

Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals.This week my guest Shana Infofuentes joins me to talk about her languages of Aymara, Quechua & Bolivian Spanish.

In this episode we talk about so much more than just the languages of the region, as Shana tells her story of being part of the largest Quechuan and the largest Bolivian community in the U.S. located in the Washington D.C. area. We talk about the special bond she had with her grandmother that forged a deep connection with Quechua & Aymara. We learn about the influences of indigenous languages on the syntax of Bolivian and Andean Spanish and how we hear these three languages being used in the city of La Paz. Shana and I share a moment of reflection on identity and the nature of anchoring oneself in a new reality and we talk about how the younger generation views their indigenous language and practices. Shana is the founder of The Quechua Project, which she tells us all about in this episode and why having a community organization like this is of utmost importance to the diaspora.

Big thank you to Shana for sharing your language and culture with all of us. Be sure to click the links in the show notes to find information on how to donate to Shana’s upcoming documentary that we discussed in the episode.  If you enjoy episodes of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts and like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now pledge ongoing support for the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com or on Patreon dot com. For just $5 per month, you will have access to excerpts of this conversation that did not make it to the full published episode.  And as you know, I wrote a book! My food ‘zine of international language and cuisine, Taste Buds Vol 1. is available now for purchase! Check social media for the sneak peek inside of the book and make sure you purchase for yourself and your friends! Links to all platforms are below! 

To find Shana: 

Website: www.shanainofuentes.com

Quechua Project: https://quechuaproject.com/

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