Where is Mi Gente? Codeswitching (Afro)Latinidad in the music classroom

Abstract

Musical codeswitching (CS) entails mixing musical ideas and genres. The term CS originated in linguistics, based on language alternations attested in bilinguals. Switches in sociocultural behaviors also now receive scholarly attention as CS. The current multiple case study explores CS domains (music, language, and behavior) in the context of music education programs, where CS remains under-researched. This study also fills a gap by examining historically underrepresented individuals’ (HURIs) participation in music education. Here, a CS-based account provides a deeper understanding of the complex sociocultural capital, linguistic resources and lived experiences that HURIs navigate. As part of an interpretive qualitative study design, semi-structured interviews were carried out with a HURI subpopulation (bilingual, [Afro]Latina/o/x faculty, and students) in music education. Findings show participants perceive CS to be mandatory for accessing dominant U.S. music school culture. Additional findings reveal HURIs must master CS in musical, linguistic, and behavioral domains to avoid negative outcomes, yet sustained multi-CS scenarios may have psychological and even physical costs. Insights from CS are thus critical for pinpointing institutional barriers to greater HURI involvement in music education.