Table Of ContentSpeaking Spanish in the US
MM Textbooks
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MM Textbooks: 16
Speaking Spanish in the US
The Sociopolitics of Language
2nd Edition
Janet M. Fuller and Jennifer Leeman
MULTILINGUAL MATTERS
Bristol • Blue Ridge Summit
DOI https://doi.org/10.21832/FULLER8281
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Names: Fuller, Janet M. - author. | Leeman, Jennifer, author.
Title: Speaking Spanish in the US: The Sociopolitics of Language / Janet M. Fuller and Jennifer Leeman.
Description: 2nd edition. | Blue Ridge Summit: Multilingual Matters, 2020. |
Series: MM Textbooks: 16 | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Summary: “This textbook introduces readers to basic concepts of sociolinguistics with a focus on
Spanish in the US. The coverage goes beyond a focus on language to examine how the Spanish
language is embedded in history and politics, and both refl ects and shapes societal views of the
language and its speakers”— Provided by publisher.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2019054057 (print) | LCCN 2019054058 (ebook) | ISBN 9781788928274 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781788928281 (hardback) | ISBN 9781788928298 (pdf) | ISBN 9781788928304 (epub) |
ISBN 9781788928311 (kindle edition)
Subjects: LCSH: Spanish language—United States. | Spanish language—Social aspects—
United States. | Sociolinguistics—United States.
Classifi cation: LCC PC4826 .F85 2020 (print) | LCC PC4826 (ebook) | DDC 306.442/61073—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054057
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019054058
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-1-78892-828-1 (hbk)
ISBN-13: 978-1-78892-827-4 (pbk)
Multilingual Matters
UK: St Nicholas House, 31–34 High Street, Bristol BS1 2AW, UK.
USA: NBN, Blue Ridge Summit, PA, USA.
Website: www.multilingual-matters.com
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Blog: www.channelviewpublications.wordpress.com
Copyright © 2020 Janet M. Fuller and Jennifer Leeman.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
permission in writing from the publisher.
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renewable and recyclable products, made from wood grown in sustainable forests. In the
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Typeset by Nova Techset Private Limited, Bengaluru and Chennai, India.
Printed and bound in the UK by the CPI Books Group Ltd.
Printed and bound in the US by NBN.
Contents
Tables and Figures ix
Acknowledgments xi
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Speaking Spanish in the US 1
Objectives 1
Introduction 1
An Interdisciplinary Sociopolitical Approach 3
Linguistic Variation and Language Varieties 3
Social Constructionism 4
Critical Approaches 5
A Few Words about Terminology 6
Overview of Chapters 7
Notes 8
Chapter 2 The Demographics of Spanish in the US 9
Objectives 9
Introduction 9
A Statistical Portrait of Spanish in the US 10
National Origin Groups 11
Statistics on Language Ability and Use 14
The English-speaking Ability of Spanish-speakers and Latinxs 16
The Desire to Maintain Spanish and the Sorrow of Language Loss 18
Factors Impacting Language Maintenance and Shift 21
Spanish Language Maintenance and Shift in the US 24
Conclusions and Connections 29
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 2 30
Note 31
Further Reading and Resources 31
Chapter 3 The History of Spanish and Spanish-speakers in the US 33
Objectives 33
Introduction 33
Spanish Colonization in North America and the Caribbean 36
US Expansionism and Spanish in the US 40
Black and White Legends, Hispanophilia and Oñate’s Foot 45
(Im)migration and Spanish in the US 49
Conclusions and Connections 59
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 3 60
Note 61
Further Reading and Resources 62
Chapter 4 Language Ideologies 63
Objectives 63
Introduction 63
Language Ideology Defi ned 64
v
Contents
Hegemony and Symbolic Domination 65
Language Ideologies: Bridging the Linguistic and the Social 68
The Consequences of Language Ideologies: Power, Politics and Policy 71
The Standard Language Ideology 73
The One Nation–One Language Ideology 76
Normative Monolingualism and the Zero-sum Ideology 80
Monoglossic and Heteroglossic Ideologies 81
Language Commodifi cation and Instrumentality 83
Differential Bilingualism 84
The Relative Worth of English and Spanish 85
Spanish as Essential to Latinx Identity versus Language as a Choice 86
Conclusions and Connections 88
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 4 88
Further Reading and Resources 89
Chapter 5 Race, Racialization and Latinx Ethnoracial Identity 91
Objectives 91
Introduction 91
Race as a Social Construct 92
Racialization 94
The Racialization of Spanish 96
Variability in the Construction of Race 97
Race versus Ethnicity 99
Race in Latin America 100
Comparing Constructions of Race in Latin America and the US 103
Migration and Racial Identities 106
The Ethnoracial Identity of Latinxs in the US Census and Beyond 107
Conclusions and Connections 117
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 5 118
Further Reading and Resources 119
Chapter 6 Language and Identity 121
Objectives 121
Introduction 121
Identities 121
The Linguistic Construction of Social Identities 123
Indexicality and Identity 132
Multilingual Practices and Identity 134
Multiple and Intersectional Identities 136
Mock Spanish 141
Conclusions and Connections 146
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 6 146
Further Reading and Resources 147
Chapter 7 Spanish and Spanish-speakers in US Media 149
Objectives 149
Introduction 149
Stereotypical Portrayals of Latinxs 150
Latinxs and Spanish-speakers in English Language Media 152
vi
Contents
Latinxs in English Language News 155
Representing Latinx Language Use: Monolingual Norms and
Deviant Behavior 157
Constructing the Latinx Audience: Spanish Language
Media and Beyond 162
Spanish in Linguistic Landscapes 166
Conclusions and Connections 169
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 7 170
Further Reading and Resources 170
Chapter 8 Language Policy and Spanish in the US 173
Objectives 173
Introduction 173
Language Planning and Policy 174
Orientations to Language in Planning and Policy 176
Historical Perspectives on Language Policy in the US 179
Language and Civil Rights in the US 184
Offi cial English 192
Language Policy in Puerto Rico 195
Conclusions and Connections 196
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 8 197
Notes 198
Further Reading and Resources 198
Chapter 9 Spanish in US Schools 201
Objectives 201
Introduction 201
A Short History of Minority Language Schooling in the US 202
Educating English Language Learners: Program Types 205
Effectiveness of Bilingual and Dual Language Education Programs 208
Spanish as a Second or Additional Language 210
Spanish for Heritage Speakers 211
Language Ideologies in Education 212
Critical Pedagogical Approaches to Language Education 219
Educating Diverse Populations: Beyond Language Differences 221
Conclusions and Connections 222
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 9 223
Further Reading and Resources 224
Chapter 10 Structural Aspects of Speaking Spanish in the US 225
Objectives 225
Introduction 225
Varieties of Spanish in the US 226
Language Contact Phenomena 230
Spanglish 231
Language Contact Phenomena Defi ned 233
Convergence? Focus on Pronouns 238
Contact between Varieties of Spanish 240
Beyond English and Spanish 241
vii
Contents
Latinx Englishes 242
Attitudes toward Varieties of Spanish and English 245
Conclusions and Connections 248
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 10 249
Note 250
Further Reading and Resources 251
Chapter 11 The Future of Spanish in the US 253
Objectives 253
Introduction 253
Demographics, Maintenance and Shift 254
History and Immigration 256
Language Ideologies 258
Race and Ethnicity 259
Identity 260
Media 262
Policy 264
Education 265
Linguistic Features 267
Conclusions and Connections 268
Discussion Questions and Activities for Chapter 11 269
Note 270
Glossary 271
References 281
Index 325
viii
Tables and Figures
Tables
Table 2.1 National origin in the Latinx population 12
Table 2.2 Racial make-up of the Latinx population 13
Table 2.3 English- and Spanish-speaking ability among Latinxs 26
Table 5.1 Racial classifi cation in the US census 1790–2010 98
Figures
Figure 2.1 Percentage of the population age fi ve and older that speaks Spanish at home 11
Figure 2.2 American Community Survey language question (2015) 14
Figure 3.1 A 1765 map of North America showing British and Spanish colonial
possessions 34
Figure 3.2 Timeline of Spanish conquest and US annexation 35
Figure 3.3 San Xavier Mission outside Tucson, Arizona; the mission was founded in
1692 and the current structure was completed in 1797 38
Figure 3.4 Map of US territorial expansion 41
Figure 3.5 National origin groups (ACS 2017 One-year estimates) 52
Figure 4.1 Bumper sticker: ‘Welcome to America: Now SPEAK ENGLISH!’ 66
Figure 4.2 Bumper sticker: ‘WELCOME TO AMERICA: NOW SPEAK CHEROKEE’ 66
Figure 4.3 ¡Yo U.S.A! 79
Figure 5.1 Unknown Artist, De Indio y Mestiza sale Coyote (‘From Indian and Mestiza,
Coyote’). Mexico, about 1750. Oil on canvas. 31 1/2 × 41 inches 101
Figure 5.2 Hispanic origin question from the 2010 census 108
Figure 5.3 Race question from the 2010 census 109
Figure 5.4 Race question for the 2020 census 112
Figure 7.1 Sign in Little Village, Chicago: ‘American Family Insurance’ 168
Figure 7.2 Sign in Humboldt Park, Chicago: ‘Ay! Mami “Una cocina caliente”’ 168
Figure 10.1 Tacos plis! Billboard outside Los Angeles, California (September 2018) 234
ix
