Doctoral Dissertation Research: Emergent dialect style: vowel realization and discursive identity construction in D.C. Latinos

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Under the direction of Dr. Natalie Schilling, Ms. Amelia Tseng will investigate the interrelationship of language, identity, and dialect development among first- and second- generation Latinos in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through quantitative sociolinguistic analysis of the variable patterning of dialect features found to be associated with Latino speakers in other U.S. locations, and qualitative analysis of how speakers use these features to convey particular social and identity meanings in ongoing conversation. The project is of vital importance in that it (1) enhances our knowledge of how a growing and diverse Latino population uses language to shape new identities in the U.S. context; (2) increases our understanding of emergent language varieties as legitimate language systems with important cultural associations rather than 'imperfect' learner English; and (3) in the long run helps ameliorate linguistic discrimination against Latinos and other minority groups. In addition, although Latino English has been studied to an extent in other U.S. locations, it is understudied in the nation's capital, despite its growing Latino population.Data will be collected using conversational interviews and participant self-recordings in varied social contexts. Dialect features will be investigated in terms of possible correlation with social factors (for example, immigrant generation, gender, education, orientation to Latino identity), and how and where they occur in discourse. For example, a lower, backed /ae/ pronunciation is variably associated with Latino English (e.g. 'can' does not raise to "kay-un," but may approach "con"). Pilot studies suggest that this feature is used with higher frequency when speakers talk about Latino culture, but with lower frequency when they wish to sound authoritative. This indicates that although Latinos in D.C. may be internalizing derogatory attitudes toward Latino English(es), they nonetheless retain a positive sense of their unique cultural and linguistic heritage. By shedding light on dialect development and identity construction in an immigration context, the results of this study will help to demonstrate the linguistic validity and social importance of Latino English, and, by extension, the cultural legitimacy of all groups of people, whether 'native' to the U.S., immigrant, majority, or minority.