Welcome, familia.
If you’re reading this, it means you’re part of Los Primeros—the first people I trusted with this story.
Your English is Great, But… started as a phrase I heard too many times, but it turned into something bigger: a love letter to those of us who’ve ever felt like we had to change how we speak, who we are, or where we’re from to belong.
This Prologue is the heartbeat of the book. It’s where everything begins—and I wanted you to read it before anyone else.
Gracias for being here.
With cariño,
José
Me in 2nd grade at Colegio De La Salle in Cartagena. Long before I ever heard the phrase: “Your English is great, but…”
Prologue
There are stories we choose to tell, and others that choose us.
For a long time, I didn’t think my story mattered enough to be written down. I was too busy chasing deadlines, rewriting scripts, packing bags, trying to prove something. To others. To myself. I thought that if I just worked hard enough, spoke clearly enough, stayed busy enough… I’d earn my place.
But silence can be heavy. And somewhere between one city and the next, I realized I was carrying more than I ever said out loud.
I wrote this book because there were too many nights when I couldn’t sleep—thinking about the things I never said in front of the camera. About the way I missed my abuela. About what it felt like to live in translation. About how many times I changed my voice so people would listen. About the places I left, and the ones I never really came back from.
This isn’t a memoir, exactly. It’s a collection of the moments that shaped me—the ones that still show up when I close my eyes. The airport goodbyes. The live shots that almost broke me. The streets that made me feel at home. The comments that made me question everything. The music, the grief, the joy, the quiet.
If you’ve ever felt torn between places…
If you’ve ever felt proud of your roots but unsure where you fit…
If you’ve ever missed someone so much it changed the way you breathe…
This is for you.
These pages are for the ones who left and the ones who stayed. For anyone who’s ever felt like they had to become someone else just to be seen. For the kid who was told his English was good—but not quite good enough.
I don’t have it all figured out. But I’m learning to tell the truth with my whole voice now.
Gracias por estar aquí.
Let’s begin.
—José
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