Spanish across Domains in the United States: Education, Public Space, and Social Media by ed. Francisco Salgado-Robles and Edwin M. Lamboy

Abstract

Reviewed by: Spanish across Domains in the United States: Education, Public Space, and Social Media by ed. Francisco Salgado-Robles and Edwin M. Lamboy Antonio Martín Gómez Salgado-Robles, Francisco, and Edwin M. Lamboy, editors. Spanish across Domains in the United States: Education, Public Space, and Social Media. Brill, 2020, Pp. 402. ISBN 978-90-04-43322-9. Spanish across Domains in the United States. Education, Public Space, and Social Media is a more than welcome addition to the increasing number of edited works that examine the current state of Spanish as a minority language across the most representative regions in the United States. Divided into three portions, the sixteen contributions of this volume reflect the most up-to-date uses of Spanish not only in traditional educational settings, but also in contexts such as the linguistic signage of several urban centers, or the innovative uses that the Hispanic youth employ to affirm their identities in social media. After a general introduction in which the editors discuss the various factors that affect the overall use of minority Spanish at home and in the public domain, a first set of studies dealing with the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language is presented. In chapter 1 Sara M. Beaudrie and Sergio Loza examine the current efforts in Arizona to avoid language shift as a consequence of the restrictive educational policies that prevent Latino students from developing their biliteracy skills. Devin L. Jenkins describes in chapter 2 the solid state of Spanish in Colorado: although the Mexican immigration boom has recently slowed, the community language is not likely to disappear in the near future, as is evidenced by the strong bilingual educational offerings. Similarly, Kim Potowski explores in chapter 3 the vitality of Mexican and Puerto Rican communities in the city of Chicago, which over the years have merged into new identities that demand dual language schools and heritage language programs across all educational levels. In chapter 4, Manel Lacorte, Elisa Gironzetti and Evelyn Canabal-Torres concentrate on the Spanish taught in the Washington metro area, a community that enjoys a favorable climate towards Hispanic cultures yet lacks adequate language programs that can effectively address the needs of these students. In chapter 5, Inmaculada Gómez Soler offers a thorough review of the state of Spanish [End Page 159] as a heritage language in Tennessee, a state that has experienced an increase in Hispanic speakers in recent years but still lacks the adequate resources to provide effective instruction to heritage language learners. The next studies are devoted to linguistic landscaping, the examination of the languages used in public signs which in turn reflect the sociology, literacy and anthropology (among other aspects) of bilingual communities. In chapter 6, Aaron B. Roggia examines the signage of Oklahoma City, whose emergent Hispanic community shows strong cultural and linguistic maintenance while also embracing the receiving culture. María Cecilia Colombi, Daniela Cerbino and Marta Llorente Bravo examine on chapter 7 the languages of instructions, advertisements, and information brochures in California, refuting the assumption that the more acculturated the Hispanic consumer is, less relevant the minority language becomes. In chapter 8, Elena Foulis and Glenn Martínez investigate the imagination, dreams, and desires behind the visual representations of “La Villa Hispana,” a community revitalization project in Northeast Ohio, whose signage reflects a desire for cultural representation rather than economic improvement. Chapter 9 focuses on a Hispanic neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. Amanda Dixson and Angela George found that despite its size, Spanish was still present in at least 2% of the advertisements, place names, and notices, evidencing the emergence of Hispanic communities in the area. Steven Alvarez examines in chapter 10 the Spanish used in the “Valle del Bluegrass” library in Kentucky, an example of a welcoming community that allows for acceptance and trust especially among bilingual youth groups, and validates the identities of historically discriminated communities. The third group of studies analyzes how bilingual youth use Spanish in social media. Patricia MacGregor-Mendoza and Gabriela Moreno examine in chapter 11 the Instagram posts of eight young adults from Southern New Mexico, who use this online environment as a space to express the languages, images...