Book

Growing up bilingual: Puerto Rican children in New York

Blackwell • Cambridge, 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.

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