Spanish in Chicago

Spanish in Chicago is the first book-length study of Spanish in Chicago, where populations originating in Mexico and Puerto Rico have lived in contact for generations, and Latinos now comprise nearly a third of the population. It analyzes patterns of language change and identity constructions through interviews with 124 individuals across three generations and two regional origins, and assesses the dynamics of linguistic convergence, dialect leveling, accommodation, and language loss.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 17 October 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Spanning over 130% to 150% more words, this comprehensive study delves into the intricate dynamics of Spanish in Chicago, a city where populations originating from Mexico and Puerto Rico have coexisted for generations, resulting in a thriving Latino community that now constitutes nearly a third of the city's population. Authored by Kim Potowski and Lourdes Torres, Spanish in Chicago emerges as the first book-length exploration of Spanish in this diverse urban setting. Recognizing Chicago as a prime location for examining language and dialect contact at both community and family levels, the authors provide a detailed account of the spoken Spanish in the city. Through a meticulous sociolinguistic analysis, they unravel the patterns of language change and identity constructions, shedding light on their likely origins.

Drawing upon extensive interviews with 124 individuals spanning three generations of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and MexiRican Chicagoans, Potowski and Torres meticulously trace the profound effects of language and dialect contact. Their analysis, conducted through a close examination of lexicon, discourse markers, codeswitching, the subjunctive, and phonology, offers a unique perspective by examining these features across three generations of speakers and two distinct regional origins within the same corpus. By including MexiRicans as a category, the book goes beyond assessing the dynamics of linguistic convergence, dialect leveling, accommodation, and language loss. It also delves into the concept of intrafamiliar dialect contact, a groundbreaking framework pioneered by Potowski.

By contextualizing these language changes within the rich history of Latino communities in Chicago, Spanish in Chicago presents a nuanced portrayal of a minority language thriving in a major US city. This invaluable contribution to sociolinguistics and Latino studies sheds light on the complex interplay between language, culture, and identity, offering valuable insights into the diverse linguistic landscape of contemporary society.

Weight: 656g
Dimension: 241 x 160 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780199326143