article

Garifuna children's language shame: ethnic stereotypes, national affiliation, and transnational immigration as factors in language choice

Language and society • 30 (1) • Published In 2001 • Pages: 81-96

By: Bonner, Donna.

Abstract

In this article, Bonner examines the reasons for the decline in use of the Garifuna language among children and young adults in a multilingual and multiethnic town of Dangriga, Belize. Garifuna language is a mix of Native American, West African, and European grammar and vocabulary. It is at the bottom of a language hierarchy, which includes English Creole (the 'native' language of Belize), English, and Spanish. The Spanish-speaking population of Belize and the town of Dangriga has increased with recent immigration from neighboring countries, especially Mexico. Although Garifuna are shy about using their own language in multiethnic settings, as it marks their marginal status in Belize society, recently their language has become embraced by the Creole as an authentic language of the African diaspora and associated with the country's unique non-Spanish history and culture. Nevertheless the more widely spoken English Creole has become the language of solidarity in face of this 'Spanish' intrusion.

HRAF PubDate

2005

Region

Middle America and the Caribbean

Sub Region

Central America

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnographer

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 2003

Field Date

1991-1993

Coverage Date

1980-2000

Coverage Place

Dangriga, Belize

Notes

Donna M. Bonner

Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-96)

LCCN

72623747

LCSH

Garifuna (Caribbean people)