This chapter explores Mexican American identity and ethnicity through the prism of the Spanish language, which is perhaps the central characteristic in ethnic culture and identity among Mexican Americans. However, whereas virtually all U.S.-born Mexican Americans speak English, not all speak Spanish. More precisely, Mexican Americans are distributed along a continuum of language competence that ranges from English only to complete fluency in both English and Spanish, with the majority of individuals falling somewhere in-between. For the respondents, English is their primary language, whereas the use of Spanish varies greatly, depending on the situation and each individual’s linguistic abilities. Thus, regardless of actual linguistic ability, language as a concept raises a number of issues regarding Mexican Americans’ own ethnic identities and their relationship to members of the ethnic community.
Review: Reading, Writing, and Revolution: Escuelitas and the Emergence of a Mexican American Identity in Texas, by Philis M. Barragán Goetz
