Book

Growing up bilingual: Puerto Rican children in New York

BlackwellCambridge, Mass. • Published In 1998 • Pages:

By: Zentella, Ana Celia.

Abstract
This is an excellent study of New York Puerto Rican bilingual language acquisition in East Harlem. Over a 14-year span, Zentella studied 20 families living on one block (el bloque), focussing on the lives of five children. She taped their conversations in the home, corner store, hallways, and streets. The block consisted of young and old, newly arrived and second-generation immigrants, and mono- and bilingual inhabitants. She identifies the use of seven language varieties, including Popular Puerto Rican (PR) Spanish, PR English, African American Vernacular English, and Standard NYC English. The block members' multi-lingual repertoire mirrors the diversity of the neighborhood and surrounding streets and is a unique expression of community identity. Zentella discusses the hows and whys of bilingual language use and acquisition. The study follows the unfortunate breakup of the community and the different paths each child takes. Without the community and with the dominance of English in school and work, the children are unable to keep up their Spanish and fail to raise their own children as bilingual speakers. Zentella argues for the importance of bilingual education in a multicultural America and also for an awareness of cultural differences in language acquisition.
Subjects
Cultural identity and pride
Language
Ethnic stratification
Community structure
Transmission of skills
culture
Puerto Ricans (Mainland)
HRAF PubDate
2002
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnographer
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 2000
Field Date
1979-1993
Coverage Date
1979-1993
Coverage Place
East Harlem, New York, N.Y., United States
Notes
Ana Celia Zentella
Includes bibliographical references (p. 300-315) and index
LCCN
96025064
LCSH
Puerto Ricans--United States