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The Politics of Language in Puerto Rico
About this book
"A [book] rich in detail and analysis, which anyone wanting to understand the language debate in Puerto Rico will find essential."--Arlene Davila, Syracuse University
This is the first book in English to analyze the controversial language policies passed by the Puerto Rican government in the 1990s. It is also the first to explore the connections between language and cultural identity and politics on the Caribbean island.
Shortly after the U.S. invasion of Puerto Rico in 1898, both English and Spanish became official languages of the territory. In 1991, the Puerto Rican government abolished bilingualism, claiming that "Spanish only" was necessary to protect the culture from North American influences. A few years later bilingualism was restored and English was promoted in public schools, with supporters asserting that the dual languages symbolized the island's commitment to live in harmony with the United States.
While the islanders' sense of ethnic pride was growing, economic dependency enticed them to maintain close ties to the United States. This book shows that officials in both San Juan and Washington, along with English-first groups, used the language laws as weapons in the battle over U.S.-Puerto Rican relations and the volatile debate over statehood. It will be of interest to linguists, political scientists, students of contemporary cultural politics, and political activists in discussions of nationalism in multilingual communities.
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Yes, you can access The Politics of Language in Puerto Rico by Amílcar Antonio Barreto in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Latin American & Caribbean History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Publisher
University Press of FloridaYear
2018Print ISBN
9780813064079, 9780813020778eBook ISBN
9780813063829Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Acknowledgments
- List of Abbreviations
- Preface
- 1. Culture, Identity, and Policy
- 2. Spanish and Puertorriqueñidad
- 3. The Power of English
- 4. The Politics of Status
- 5. Reviving the Language Debate
- 6. The Official Language Act of 1991
- 7. Rational Politics
- 8. Culture, Policy, and Nested Games
- 9. Congress, the English Language, and American Identity
- 10. Restoring Official Bilingualism
- 11. Creating a Bilingual Citizenry
- 12. The Struggle Continues
- Appendixes
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index