“I don’t feel like I have to prove my identity by speaking only Spanish or only English.”: Languaging as Identity Work Among Latinas at a PWI

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Language, Identity, and Power

Abstract

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development is a lifelong process that is significant throughout one’s college journey. Languaging is a component of identity formation for Hispanic/Latino/a/e individuals. Yet, there is a dearth of literature examining languaging as intersectional identity work among Latinas within spaces that systematically marginalize language. As such, using interviews with 10 Hispanic/Latina women, this case study explored languaging as a mechanism of ERI development at a Predominantly White Institution. Through the lens of Social Identity Theory and raciolinguistic perspective, findings revealed nuanced ways that racialized expectations for language operated to uphold identity categorization and comparison, and how languaging was leveraged to resist such boundaries and promote intersectional identity empowerment.

Authors

• Stephanie Cuellar, Texas Christian University

• Elsa Camargo, University of Texas - Arlington

• Daniela Castro, Texas Christian University

• Daisy Troche, Texas Christian University

• Taryn Ozuna Allen, Texas Christian University

• Maria Yareli Delgado, University of Texas - Arlington