Is anyone planning to read the first ever Encyclopedia of Spanish of the USA? This reference by Santillana & Instituto Cervantes serves to define Spanish in the USA from a historical, linguistic and cultural point of view. Latinos/ Hispanics represent approximately 15% of the population and has a population of Spanish speakers larger than many Spanish-speaking countries. The history of Spanish in the country is worth examination and comparison as its presence has increased overtime and the spoken language has evolved and continues to evolve as the language becomes more influential in all facets of American society.
It is a known fact that Spanish spoken in the USA is unique in every sense of the word ranging from vocabulary to syntax. A person from Latin America or Spain who has not been exposed to the way Spanish is spoken in the USA takes note right away and often does not even understand many of the words or expressions. Even within the country there's a difference between east coast and west coast jargon and vast differences within the Latin community. The Mexican population forms the largest Latino group followed by Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Cubans. Collectively South Americans make up a significant number concentrated in cities in the east coast such as Miami, NYC, and Washington, DC.
Without having read the encyclopedia or parts of it what I think will be interesting is the examination of the linguistic diversity and once again it will emphasize the differences that exists within Spanish. Although some Spanish speakers say they have a hard time understanding speakers from certain countries, IMO, in general terms Spanish speakers understand each other. The accent, expressions, slang, regionalisms differ but Spanish is Spanish. The difficulty in understanding particular speakers usually occurs when there's a difference in the educational level or if one speaker is from a remote area of a country often labeled as a campesino.
What is unique about Spanish in the USA is this amalgam- one language, many speakers of different origin. Miami has the largest Cuban population outside of Cuba and Spanish spoken in Miami is Cuban influenced. A dictionary of cubanisms would come in handy. For those who are aware of the sociolinguistic aspects of language will surely comment on the way Cubans speak which is very similar in some cases identical to Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. It's certainly interesting to compare Spanish spoken in any of the aforementioned areas to South American countries such as Peru or Chile. Needless to say there are vast differences. Within the community people comment and critique the way Spanish is spoken by certain ethnic groups and individuals. However, when all is said and done it's the same language. What will be interesting is how Spanglish is addressed and defined in this new reference.
John Lipski, a well-known linguist in the USA and professor who is well-versed and knowledgeable about all aspects of Spanish in the Americas as it relates to sociolinguistics has written many insightful essays, publications and other reading material that address the spoken variety of Spanish of the USA. The comparisons range from archaisms, to grammatical variations to vocabulary. His essays and publications represent a microcosm of the scope of Spanish and its broad diversity. Therefore, an encyclopedia of Spanish spoken in the USA is a long awaited reference that should address the many facets of the language spoken in a variety of different ways but yet still unifies the large population of its speakers.
From a cultural point of view, what I find interesting is that the USA has not emerged with a significant number of writers or authors in Spanish. Many publications by Latinos in the USA are translated literature which is a reflection of the language gap. Although there is a significant number of Spanish speakers in the country many can not write well enough in the language as compared to their Latin and Peninsular counterparts. Those who are immigrants can however, those who grew up in a Spanish-speaking home or came to the USA at young age or the beginning of their teenage years may still speak Spanish but lack proper vocabulary or grammar strength to express themselves in Spanish in literature. There are some recognized authors such as Esmeralda Santiago (Puerto Rican), Julia ?lvarez (Dominican-American), Sandra Cisneros (Mexican-American) and many others who fall into this category.
Here is the link to the encyclopedia which is available on Amazon as well as an article from El Nuevo Herald.
Amazon.com: Enciclopedia del espanol en los Estados Unidos: Instituto Cervantes: Books
OLGA CONNOR
'El espa?ol en Estados Unidos'
(the link is only good for a few days. You can search by title on google as well).
El espa?ol en Estados Unidos - 10/26/2008 - El Nuevo Herald
--LDG.
It is a known fact that Spanish spoken in the USA is unique in every sense of the word ranging from vocabulary to syntax. A person from Latin America or Spain who has not been exposed to the way Spanish is spoken in the USA takes note right away and often does not even understand many of the words or expressions. Even within the country there's a difference between east coast and west coast jargon and vast differences within the Latin community. The Mexican population forms the largest Latino group followed by Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Cubans. Collectively South Americans make up a significant number concentrated in cities in the east coast such as Miami, NYC, and Washington, DC.
Without having read the encyclopedia or parts of it what I think will be interesting is the examination of the linguistic diversity and once again it will emphasize the differences that exists within Spanish. Although some Spanish speakers say they have a hard time understanding speakers from certain countries, IMO, in general terms Spanish speakers understand each other. The accent, expressions, slang, regionalisms differ but Spanish is Spanish. The difficulty in understanding particular speakers usually occurs when there's a difference in the educational level or if one speaker is from a remote area of a country often labeled as a campesino.
What is unique about Spanish in the USA is this amalgam- one language, many speakers of different origin. Miami has the largest Cuban population outside of Cuba and Spanish spoken in Miami is Cuban influenced. A dictionary of cubanisms would come in handy. For those who are aware of the sociolinguistic aspects of language will surely comment on the way Cubans speak which is very similar in some cases identical to Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. It's certainly interesting to compare Spanish spoken in any of the aforementioned areas to South American countries such as Peru or Chile. Needless to say there are vast differences. Within the community people comment and critique the way Spanish is spoken by certain ethnic groups and individuals. However, when all is said and done it's the same language. What will be interesting is how Spanglish is addressed and defined in this new reference.
John Lipski, a well-known linguist in the USA and professor who is well-versed and knowledgeable about all aspects of Spanish in the Americas as it relates to sociolinguistics has written many insightful essays, publications and other reading material that address the spoken variety of Spanish of the USA. The comparisons range from archaisms, to grammatical variations to vocabulary. His essays and publications represent a microcosm of the scope of Spanish and its broad diversity. Therefore, an encyclopedia of Spanish spoken in the USA is a long awaited reference that should address the many facets of the language spoken in a variety of different ways but yet still unifies the large population of its speakers.
From a cultural point of view, what I find interesting is that the USA has not emerged with a significant number of writers or authors in Spanish. Many publications by Latinos in the USA are translated literature which is a reflection of the language gap. Although there is a significant number of Spanish speakers in the country many can not write well enough in the language as compared to their Latin and Peninsular counterparts. Those who are immigrants can however, those who grew up in a Spanish-speaking home or came to the USA at young age or the beginning of their teenage years may still speak Spanish but lack proper vocabulary or grammar strength to express themselves in Spanish in literature. There are some recognized authors such as Esmeralda Santiago (Puerto Rican), Julia ?lvarez (Dominican-American), Sandra Cisneros (Mexican-American) and many others who fall into this category.
Here is the link to the encyclopedia which is available on Amazon as well as an article from El Nuevo Herald.
Amazon.com: Enciclopedia del espanol en los Estados Unidos: Instituto Cervantes: Books
OLGA CONNOR
'El espa?ol en Estados Unidos'
(the link is only good for a few days. You can search by title on google as well).
El espa?ol en Estados Unidos - 10/26/2008 - El Nuevo Herald
--LDG.
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