This presentation takes as a site of study the politics of pronunciation surrounding U.S. Latina/os’ use of Spanish pronunciation of Spanish words while speaking English and, particularly, the pronunciation of Spanish proper... [ view full abstract ]
This presentation takes as a site of study the politics of pronunciation surrounding U.S. Latina/os’ use of Spanish pronunciation of Spanish words while speaking English and, particularly, the pronunciation of Spanish proper names. My project seeks to map the diversity of language ideologies around the pronunciation of proper names in two distinct U.S. Latina/o contexts: Chicago and New Mexico. My study highlights site specific trends regarding U.S. Latina/o pronunciation practices of proper names. Doran (2001), Martínez (2006), Fought (2006) and Mendoza-Denton (2008) serve as jumping off points in the study of Spanish onomastics among U.S. Latinas/os and the sociophonetic dimensions within identity construction. Additionally, the productive work by Lippi-Green (1997) and Bucholtz (2003) illuminate my approach to language ideologies.
Drawing from a data set that examines the language ideologies surrounding the pronunciation of names among G2 and G3 Latinas/os in Chicago and Hispanic New Mexicans (Nuevomexicanos) in northern New Mexico, my presentation draws from participants’ narratives regarding pronunciation of proper names and places. I take these responses from online surveys, focus-group interviews, and individual interviews. Preliminary findings within this pilot project reveal a sense of empowerment associated with maintaining Spanish pronunciation of Spanish names and places while speaking English that correlates with less Spanish proficiency and, particularly, resonates with the New Mexican Latina/o participants. Thus, the site of Spanish pronunciation becomes a space in which Latinas/os who have experienced language loss can momentarily engage with a sense of linguistic pride and make visible their linguistic capacity.
References
Bucholtz, Mary. (2003). Sociolinguistic Nostalgia and the Authentication of Identity. Journal of Sociolinguistics. Blackwell Publishing.
Fought, Carmen. (2006). Language and Ethnicity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lippi-Green, Rosina. (1997). English with an Accent: Language, Ideology and Discrimination in the United States. New York: Routledge.
Martínez, Glenn. (2006). Mexican Americans and Language: Del dicho al hecho. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
Mendoza-Denton, Norma. (2008). Homegirls: Language and Cultural Practice among Latina Youth Gangs. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
