Julián Delgado Lopera: The poetry of everyday language

The poetry of everyday language

In a captivating, poetic ode to the beauty and strength of mixed languages, writer Julián Delgado Lopera paints a picture of immigrant and queer communities united not by their refinement of language but by the creative inventions that spring from their mouths. They invite everyone to reconsider what "proper" English sounds like – and imagine a blended future where those on the margins are able to speak freely.

Language on the margins is more than survival—it becomes a source of community and invention. Around a Colombian dining table, a chorus of women invented new words, rhythms, and meaning, fueling a lifelong joy for playful speech. When forced into the hierarchy of 'proper English' in Miami, many immigrants and queer people faced ridicule, shame, and exclusion. Yet in spaces like San Francisco’s queer bars, mixed languages and invented slang create belonging, pride, and freedom.