Edgar Miranda Draft
My spoken word is about slang and why I don’t think it is bad or disrespectful. Many people
say that if you speak in slang, it means you are not educated or that you don’t know how to
talk the “right way.” But I don’t see it like that. For me, slang is just another way of speaking,
another way of showing who we are and where we come from. It doesn’t mean you are rude,
it doesn’t mean you are less smart. It just means you are connected to your people and your
culture. That is the message I wanted to put in my poem.
The first inspiration for my spoken word came from my mom. She always tells me, “let’s
move forward,” or in Spanish, “vamos pa’lante.” The first time I really thought about those
words, I realized they weren’t just something she said casually. For her, it was a way of
teaching me discipline, faith, and hope. That phrase is slang in a way, because it’s not a
formal expression. But it carries so much meaning. It tells you to keep going, even when life
is hard. In my spoken word, I repeat this phrase because it’s powerful. Every time I say it, it
feels like motivation, like a voice that keeps pushing me forward.
In my community, we use many slang expressions every day. For example, “qué lo qué,”

“tamo activo,” or “en alta.” For people outside my culture, maybe those words don’t mean
much. But for us, they are important. They are not rude at all. They are ways of recognizing
each other, of saying “I’m here with you,” or “we are together.” When someone says “tamo
activo,” it feels like energy, like a reminder that we are ready for anything. These words
create connection and identity. That’s why I wanted my spoken word to show that slang has
value. It’s not just “street talk.” It’s culture.
Another point I make in my spoken word is about being able to adapt. Some people think
that if you speak slang, that’s the only way you can talk. But that’s not true. I can speak with
my family in one way, with my friends in another way, and with my teachers in a more formal
way. That doesn’t mean I am fake. It means I understand how to switch my style depending
on the situation. That shows intelligence, not ignorance.
When I was writing my spoken word, I also thought a lot about the rhythm. Spoken word is
not just the words; it’s how you say them. That’s why I wrote short sentences and used
pauses. I wanted each line to feel strong. For example, when I say, “Slang is not disrespect.
Slang is survival. Slang is love,” I stop after each one. That way the listener has time to feel
it. Repetition is important too. By saying “vamos pa’lante” several times, it stays in the mind
of the audience.
My poem also mixes my personal life with the life of my community. I didn’t want it to sound
like only my experience. I wanted it to represent the people around me. When I use words
like “qué lo qué,” I’m not just talking about myself, I’m talking about everyone who grew up
with me, who shares that same slang. That’s why I feel like the spoken word is not just mine,

but part of something bigger. It represents culture, pride, and identity.
In the end, the main idea of my spoken word is respect. I want people to respect slang. I
want them to see it not as something negative, but as something powerful. Slang doesn’t
make us less intelligent. On the contrary, it shows we can communicate in many ways. It
connects us to our roots, to our families, and to our neighborhoods. Every word, even the
most informal one, has meaning. That is what I wanted to show with my poem.