Pride and prejuicio: Spanish heritage speakers translingual and transcultural identities

This study examines the exploration of language usage in relation to identities and ideologies among Spanish Heritage language (SHL) speakers. More specifically, the study analyzes whether these speakers’ alternate use of languages in the classroom or in their daily lives contributes to the construction of their own language and ethnic identities.

This qualitative study was conducted with the aim of building an understanding of the linguistic profiles of speakers of Spanish as a heritage language, and how they use language to talk about themselves, their translingual and bicultural backgrounds, and their ethnic and linguistic identities. This is important because building an understanding of how these speakers portray and conceptualize their ethnic and linguistic identities will contribute to heritage language education at the college level. Additionally, it can provide information on how educational institutions can better serve heritage language speakers, not only of Spanish, but other heritage languages as well.

The case studies of the three heritage speakers are presented as narrative portraits, and all three reveal interpretive themes that suggest the close connection between language and identity, the importance of representation, validity, and recognition for heritage languages and cultures, as well as the role of translanguaging in the reaffirmation of linguistic identity.