Possibility and Legacy: An Exploration of Multilingualism in the Black Community

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Black Faces, Latinx Spaces

Abstract

This exploration addresses the intersectional realities of African American students who pursue foreign language instruction as a course of study. Akkari (1998) discusses liberatory bilingualism as a concept which “includes using the power of mastering several languages and/or dialects to seek cultural, social, economic and political equity with the dominant group” (p.115). We will discuss how the interdependent relationship between language and identity manifests directly through the African American student. In our discussion we will also present the realities of Latin@s of African descent (Afro-Latin@s) to further demonstrate the experiences of the Black diaspora within the Spanish speaking linguistic and cultural context, and how similar their experiences are despite the differences in cultural origin.

Authors

• Marie Nubia-Feliciano, California State University - Fullerton

• Kami Anderson, Bilingual Brown Babies