Reactionary Tongue

The reason I chose to dissect Anzaldua's piece is because I am in the same predicament as Chicanos in the United States. I am Puerto Rican , and like Anzaldua, have acquired many forms of the same language due to American influence in my country. Puerto Rico, although an autonomous commonwealth since 1952, has been a US territory since 1898 after the Spanish American War under the Treaty of Paris.

However, I am fortunate, for my social integration is not as negative as Chicanos, despite being labeled as "Mexican" and "spic" on several ocassions. Furthermore, Puerto Rico is an island, and we do not suffer from the borderlands that are responsible for much Hispanic trauma. On the other hand, the americanization of Puerto Rico is superior to that of Mexico, more on par with the natural americanization of Hispanics in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Baja California.

Puerto Ricans also have the equivalent of Chicano culture in America, the Niuyorican, "a person of Puerto Rican birth or descent living primarily in New York City". The heavy influx of Puerto Ricans to America is due to the exodus that began during the Great Depression, for it was far more crippling in Puerto Rico than in the United States. Niuyoricans, as well as Chicanos have their own vernacular, but it is not usually uneducated "Broken English", rather, it is interchanged amongs different groups for the sake of comfort and flavor. Chicano Spanish Texas is a variant of what we call "Spanglish", in which we adopt anglicisms, slang, and anglo-terms into the Spanish language, "bola from ball, parkiar for park", etc.

It is interesting to note that Chicano's make up 7.3% of the total US population, almost 30 million, as opposed to the 1.4% or 4.2 million Puerto Rican Americans. In general, minorities continue an exponential population growth. It is estimated that minorities will outnumber the Caucausian majority by 2040. Better become bilingual in a multi-cultural society, electronic operators should not be the only fluent speakers. Granted, operators and hotlines are artificial but at least they are adapting to the times we live in.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/washington/14census.html?_r=1

Anzaldua is right in saying that despite the validity of the many distorted forms of Spanish, Chicano Spanish is an orphan tongue, and part of what is considered "linguistic terrorism", which is the bastardization of a language. On a positive note though, it cultivates authenticity amongst cultures. This "terrorism" is what separates any form of Spanish from the Castillian roots, as much as Ebonics strays from the English language. Interestingly enough, ebonics is generously classified as African American Vernacular English, a title Hispanic variants of Spanish have not received.

Hispanic dominion of language is a product of American influence. It is not giving up to the endemic roots of your motherland, rather, it is a natural assimilation to the times for proper communication. Most Hispanic cultures can at least grasp the English language as a result of U.S imperialism, which is often sweetened up and categorized as "neoliberalism". To be an eloquent English speaker as a Hispanic is a conscious effort; with the addition of friends, a comfortable environment, or alcohol, English is suddenly butchered, broken, fused, even forgotten. Those verbs are responsible for Anzaldua's 8 languages, adapted for different purposes and setting, the ingredients to jambalaya and the same type of roles the world played in making New Orleans.

However, most of the discourse regarding Hispanics and their decisions engage in a particular language stems from the adaptation to the agressor constant attacks on the native tongue, which produces a lack of self on the victims part. English is not used freely, it is employed as a "neutral language" It is a viscious cycle, if they have low estimation for their native tongue, there is a automatic low estimation for the speaker. Anzaldua has disdain for this tendency, as do I. The second most spoken language in the United States should not be subject to such scrutiny and demonization.

The fact of the matter is that by the end of this century, "Spanish speakers will comprise the biggest minority group in the U.S., a country where students in high schools and colleges are encouraged to take French classes because French is considered more "cultured". Unfortunately, id say most of those students never become fluent in French. Their foundation in the pseudo-intellectual discussions of the French consists of Godard, Costeau, Camus, Sartre, the sixties, socialized healthcare, and the dream of living there someday ( don't forget the cocktail party francophone small talk). Evidently, it is depicted as a tongue for erudites in America and it is no longer a nationality to criticize ( Remember the ongoing, now mild U.S./French feud?) Although less indulgent, immersing yourself in your own rich culture can prove to be gratifying.

"For a language to remain alive it must be used". " By the end of this century english, and not Spanish, will be the mother tongue of most Chicanos and Latinos". There must be no bowing down to a language, for it is not part of the status quo, unless you don't live in what is becoming a mild democracy. Rather, there should be a harmonious, reconciliatory relationship ( Hispanics in America are generally complacent and peaceful), partly because they have to lay low and mind their own business because they are still marginalized. A healthy relationship between both languages would make the United States much more attractive, and it would be groundbreaking on a global level.

In the 21st century, Americans ought to have dominion of a second language that does not involve memes. Heck, Spanish is about to be passed in congress as the second official language. Even for bigots, there is profitability and incredible convenience in being able to communicate with the Hispanic community.


Fear not, there is innovation and good things out of oppression and a hawkish immigration policy to Mexico. Cultural influence from the local Hispanic roots clash with the foreign cultural goliath, creating the aforementioned hybrids of the same language. At worst, it can be referred to as a bastardized English or Spanish, or at best, a new, endemic culture that rises from the ruins of their country of origin. It is very nostalgic but equally progressive. It does not quite reach Wittgenstein's theory of a private language, for many elements of the new language are easy to distinguish. But if something is labeled as " Broken English ", at least it is close to Wittgenstein's idea because it is almost undecipherable. Even though those are efforts oblivious to philosophy, and only attempts to find comfort within your own language, it is a fascinating subject of linguistics. So close yet so far. Maybe Spanish will become a new version of the Navajo language employed with much success in WW2, and only a dozen will know about it. Sadly, the uniqueness of the Navajo language was a product of their near instinction. Let's hope for the best for Spanish, may it not be extinguished or transform the speakers into hermits, who are currently the driving force of the economy.