Racialized Bilingualism/Multilingualism by Keenia Saray Mata

Medium Chosen:

keeniamata — 2023-12-12 03:44:41 UTC

For the artistic medium, we decided to create and write a poem titled “Pochas” along with a photo collage. Through the combination of written and visual pieces, we hope to communicate with the audience the often stressful lived realities of historically racialized bilingual/monolingual speakers.

"Pochas" by Keenia Mata and Abigail Villa

keeniamata — 2023-12-12 03:47:41 UTC

We have split tongues

Y a veces se enredan

They always try to untangle them

Y mantenerlas separadas

One here

El otro aca

Pero we keep retangling them a propósito

Sources

keeniamata — 2023-12-12 03:49:11 UTC

Anzaldúa, G. (2017). “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” (1987). In University of Pittsburgh Press eBooks (pp. 357–365). https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt5hjqnj.57

Flores, N., & Rosa, J. (2015). Undoing appropriateness: Raciolinguistic ideologies and language Diversity in education. Harvard Educational Review, 85(2), 149–171. https://doi.org/10.17763/0017-8055.85.2.149

Hill, J. H. (1998). Language, race, and white public space. American Anthropologist, 100(3), 680–689. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1998.100.3.680

Theme/Purpose

keeniamata — 2023-12-12 03:50:35 UTC

For our final capstone project, Abbi and I aim to address the issues of language purity, monitoring, and racialization prevalent in the discussion of bilingualism/multilingualism in communities of color. Both Abbi and I are bilingual English and Spanish speakers who grew up in Latinx households and we wanted to create an art project that is reflective of our experiences. We both had to navigate spaces English and Spanish-speaking spaces where our linguistic practices were under constant monitoring and scrutiny because of our racial and ethnic identities.

White Public Space & Outer Spheres

keeniamata — 2023-12-12 18:30:58 UTC

According to Hill (1998), outer spheres are spaces “of talk (and engagement with text) with strangers…[where] the difference between Spanish and English is "sharply objectified"” (p. 681). These spaces are also referred to as “White Public Spaces” and they are “an arena in which linguistic disorder on the part of Whites is rendered invisible and normative” and those of racialized bilingual/multilingual speakers are under extreme monitoring and scrutiny (Hill, 1998, p. 684). In white public spaces, racialized bilingual/multilingual speakers are expected to speak “proper” and “pure” English and are discouraged from utilizing their entire language repertoire in the form of languaging mixing (ex. Spanglish) as it is considered a “linguistic disorder.” However, when white monolingual English speakers engage in languaging mixing such as Mock Spanish, it is celebrated, normalized, and considered humorous (Flores & Rosa, 2015, p. 162)

Inner Spheres

keeniamata — 2023-12-12 18:38:41 UTC

Hill (1998) defines “inner spheres” as “talk among intimates in the household and neighborhood, [where] the boundaries between "Spanish" and "English" are blurred and ambiguous both formally and functionally” (p. 681). It is in this space where in theory, bilingual/multilingual speakers are supposed to feel safe and comfortable to utilize their entire idiolect and practice translanguage techniques. However, that has not been the case for either of us. Within the Latinx community, the Spanish language is deeply intertwined with our ethnic identity and it is expected for members of our community to speak the language properly. Thus, if a Latinx individual speaks an impuro form of Spanish through translanguaging (such as Spanglish), they run the risk of being called pocho/pocha (Anzaldúa, 1987, p. 35).

Cultural Emblems and Raciolinguistics

abigailvilla2 — 2023-12-12 21:33:36 UTC

Being monoglot, speaking solely one language, the "Standard English" language being the norm representational model to strive for. This cultural emblem is like a gold star that is put on a pedestal taunting your every action because those who guard it, the White, are the sole determiners and guardians who can bestow this gold star worthiness. This cultural emblem then "perpetuates raciolinguistic ideologies and thereby contributes to process of social reproduction and societal stratification" (Flores & Rosa, 2015, p.152). Demonstrating that the acknowledgment and reinforcement of "Standard English" as a cultural emblem has negative contributions and fortifies unnecessary tension, inequality, and separation amongst those of different cultures, skin tones, and those who have the ability to communicate in different tongues. Tongues that threaten monoglots as it asserts power that those who are White cannot contain nor partake in and instead choose to weaken the spirits of those who are bilingual instead.

abigailvilla2 — 2023-12-12 21:34:27 UTC

Similar/Relevant Content

abigailvilla2 — 2023-12-12 21:40:54 UTC

From Mock Spanish to Inverted Spanglish

abigailvilla2 — 2023-12-12 21:46:53 UTC

This video addresses how Mock Spanish has turned into Spanglish which in return has allowed for white individuals to partake and interact with Spanglish. The example of "Chancla" as portrayed in the video demonstrates how a term that had origins in Spanish language was whitened for participation creating an entirely new setting with room for interpretation on its effects. It neither elevates or lowers a group but creates an in-between state, more separation.

Looking Like a Language, Sounding Like a Race

abigailvilla2 — 2023-12-12 21:57:42 UTC

Another publication by Jonathan Rosa, Looking Like A Language, Sounding Like A Race, dives deeper into Latino communities by looking at high school populations and the relationship between language, race and identity. Which brings into play social history, power, race, ideologies, and much more into question. Overall, the publication looks at Latinidad, the education system, and identity.