Revolution(s) and migration(s) through language: the case of Spanglish

Abstract

Spanglish, as its name indicates, is a mixture of English and Spanish. It consists in an intermeshed code that relies on hybridization processes which vary depending on geographical, historical contexts, and especially depending on the speakers, on their way(s) to use the code and on their socio-linguistic motivations. Spanglish constitutes a hybrid, varied and multifold language that is constantly changing. By means of the study of that language, we will question the terminology used to designate immigration and its subsequent generations, as well as what such terminology implies from a socio-linguistic standpoint. We will then probe into the passing-on, trans-generational processes involved in Spanglish and inquire into its identity role as a "third, alternative voice" in the US settings.