An introductory book, Spanish in the USA does not only provide a detailed description of basic concepts concerning language ideologies and the negotiation of identity; it also gives a thorough and well-thought-out overview of how these affect Spanish speakers and their communities in the US. The text is highly accessible and readable for beginners in courses in Hispanic linguistics, Latino/Latina studies, and sociolinguistics. In addition, there are constructive discussion questions, activities, and recommended readings at the end of each chapter that are designed to help students grasp the different concepts and phenomena discussed.
The book is organized into two parts, totaling seven chapters. Part 1, chapters 1–4, explores ideologies and methods of constructing identity, illustrating how these manifest themselves within Spanish speakers in the US. Chapter 1 defines language ideologies generally and provides a framework for their critical study, with examples of some of the ideologies that drive detrimental language policies in the US. Chapter 2 mainly focuses on identity, its construction, and negotiation by introducing various aspects relevant to the study of identity, and by demonstrating how identity is constructed through language use and choice among US Latinos and Latinas.
Chapter 3 discusses race and its importance in Latino/Latina studies, specifically in the study of identity and the language ideologies that impact the community. Finally, chapter 4 explores ways in which the Spanish language and Spanish speakers in the US are represented in the media and how language ideologies are produced and reproduced through this medium.
Part 2 addresses the language practices of the Latino/Latina community and how its members are affected by specific policy. Chapter 5 discusses Spanish language maintenance and shift, describing different outcomes of language contact and the current environment of Spanish and English in major regions in the US with significant Latino/Latina populations. Chapter 6 analyzes language contact as a linguistic phenomenon, including the types of linguistic structure changes that can occur, while providing brief examples of these in US Spanish and Chicano English. The last chapter, chapter 7, discusses the US's history of educating Latinos and Latinas, specifically evaluating the various types of programs that have been implemented and whether they have been effective; the chapter is a synthesis of the concepts and phenomena detailed throughout the book, illustrating their practical application to the education of Latinos and Latinas in the US.
This text can serve as a useful introduction for students and all interested readers who want to understand the nature and impact of language ideologies in general, and more specifically, in how they affect the identity and language use of Spanish speakers in the US.
