Entanglements, Englishes, and Transraciolinguistic Becoming: Navigating Colonialingualism Across Borders

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Identity and Culture

Abstract

In a postcolonial era shaped by the rise of artificial intelligence, racialized peoples of Color remain entangled with English and broader semiotic systems that both oppress and offer possibilities for resistance. These communities are called to resist the linguistic tools of colonization while simultaneously reimagining futures using the same instruments that once subjugated them. This conceptual essay draws on transraciolinguistics and positioning theory to examine how two transnational and immigrant youth navigate institutional and interpersonal racism. Their experiences reveal how racialized language users confront and transcend colonial legacies while co-constructing new identities. We highlight the implications for resisting colonialingualism and fostering collective imaginaries through alternative uses of English, multilingualism, and creative semiotic practices.

Authors

• Dianne T. Wellington, SUNY - College at Cortland

• Yetunde S. Alabede, Michigan State University

• Andrew A. Hunte, University of the West Indies - Five Islands

• Taiwo Jumoke Ogundapo, Indiana University

• Patriann Smith, University of South Florida