Chapter published in:
Questioning Theoretical Primitives in Linguistic Inquiry: Papers in honor of Ricardo Otheguy
Edited by Naomi Shin and Daniel Erker
[Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics 76] 2018
► pp. 189–208

LatinUs and linguistics

Complaints, conflicts, and contradictions – The anthro-political linguistics solution

| UC San Diego
The languages we study, as well as their speakers and our students, would benefit from a re-imagined approach to linguistics – one that underscores the historical, social, and political contexts surrounding the structures we investigate. Particularly for LatinUs and others whose ways of speaking are stigmatized, a linguistics that focuses on forms while ignoring what people say about their lives alienates the members of those groups who are attracted by the study of language, and its emancipatory possibilities. To combat the reproduction of linguistic and educational inequality, I advocate an anthro-political linguistics, emphasizing the central role that power plays in language and exposing the ways in which language is falsely constructed as the root of educational, cultural, social, and political problems.
Keywords: anthro-political linguistics, linguistic anthropology, LatinUs, Spanish in the U.S
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • WHY do we need more LatinUs in linguistics?
  • Attracting LatinUs
  • Access and admissions criteria
  • What kind of linguistics?
  • Struggling against prescriptivism and linguistic insecurity
  • Concrete solutions for attracting and ensuring successful LatinU majors in linguistics
    • Recruitment and retention in high schools and colleges
    • Provide mentors
    • Tailor topics and examples: “Discouraging professors should be avoided”
    • Encourage students to relate linguistic studies to social realities
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 06 December 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/sfsl.76.09zen
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