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Article published In:
Translation and/in Periodical Publications
Edited by María Constanza Guzmán
[Translation and Interpreting Studies 14:2] 2019
► pp. 218–242

Language and translation practices of Spanish-language newspapers published in the U.S. borderlands between 1808 and 1930

ORCID logo | Fairfield University
| University of Houston
| University of Houston

This article examines the impact of the anglicizing language policies implemented after the annexation of the U.S. borderlands to the United States on language use by describing the language and translation practices of Spanish-language newspapers published in the U.S. borderlands across different sociohistorical periods from 1808 to 1930. Sixty Hispanic-American newspapers (374 issues) from 1808 to 1980 were selected for analysis. Despite aggressive anglicizing legislation that caused a societal shift of language use from Spanish into English in most borderland states after the annexation, the current study suggests that the newspapers resisted assimilation by adhering to the Spanish language in the creation of original content and in translation.

Keywords: translation practices, language practices, Spanish-Language newspapers, borderlands, language use, language maintenance
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Sociohistorical context
    • The Hispanic Period (1513–1820)
    • The Mexican Period (1821–1848)
    • The Transition Period (1849–1909)
    • The Interaction Period (1910–1930)
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 26 June 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.00039.gas
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