Spanglish

Spanglish
by Ilan Stavans
Hardcover: 156 pages
Published: August 30, 2008
ISBN-10: 0313348049
ISBN-13: 978-0313348044

Spanglish - a hybrid of Spanish and English - is intricately interwoven with the history and culture of Latinos, the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States.
The topic of Spanglish generates enormous controversy. Its army of critics uses an array of arguments against it: that it bastardizes standard English and/or Spanish; it delays the process of assimilation of Hispanics into the melting pot; it is proof of the way the American empire dismantles other competing cultures; it confuses children in the age of language acquisition; and it segregates an ethnic minority already ghettoized by economic factors. In response, the supporters of Spanglish celebrate this hybrid form of communication for its dynamism, creativity, and political savvy.
This volume features the most significant articles - including peer-review essays, interviews, and reviews - to bring together the best scholarship on the topic. Learn about the historical and cultural contexts of the slang as well as its permeation into the pop culture vernacular.