Study Notes on Schwartz's Work on Mock Spanish and Latino Perceptions

University of New Mexico ILL (ILLiad TN: 364257)

  • Borrower: ORE
  • Lending String: *IQU, IYU, MUU, OKU, UUS, WTU, WYU, CNO, CSA, DLM
  • Journal Title: The Handbook of Hispanic Sociolinguistics
  • Article Author: Adam Schwartz
  • Article Title: "Mockery and Appropriation of Spanish in White Spaces: Perceptions of Latinos in the United States"
  • Imprint: Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011
  • DOI/ILL Number: 129211866
  • Shipping Address: Valley Library-ILL, Oregon State University, 121 The Valley Library, Corvallis, OR US 97331-4501
  • Call Number: PC4074.75 .H36 2011
  • Mail Date Request Received: 9/8/2014 1:54:24 PM

1. Introduction

  • The identity crisis of Spanish in the United States:
      - To many, Spanish is familiar, local, and homegrown.
      - It includes both U.S. natives and newly arrived immigrants, making the U.S. the fifth-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.
      - Conversely, to some, Spanish is viewed as an undesirable "import," representing cultural and social disorder.
  • Monitoring of Spanish usage:
      - Non-speakers often monitor Spanish in public spaces.
      - Its visibility serves as a proxy for a racialized population perceived as threatening.
  • Anti-Spanish sentiment has manifested in:
      - Anti-immigrant legislation.
      - English-only legislation.
  • Popularity of studying Spanish:
      - It remains a popular choice across all educational levels for second language and heritage learners.
  • Mockery and jocular imitation of Spanish:
      - Particularly prevalent in spaces where native speakers are absent.
  • Chapter focus:
      - Examination of Spanish-inspired humor in English discourse.
      - Proposal of Spanish and its speakers as resources for White speakers and audiences.

2. Everyday Mockery and the "Symbolic Resource": A Case of the Chihuahua

  • Research background:
      - Conducted an extensive research project over nine months on undergraduate Spanish language instruction.
      - Engaged with 11 key participants enrolled in basic Spanish coursework.
      - Immersed in their classroom activities and documented experiences.

  • Findings on symbolic representation of Spanish:
      - Common symbols included:
        - Cigars, cockfights, flamenco music, and popular artists like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
        - Food items like chips and salsa were commonplace in class activities.
      - A specific curriculum mix CD was noted featuring:
        - Gipsy Kings' "Hotel California" and Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" included to teach grammatical structures.

  • Example of presentations:
      - Students presented entirely in Spanish on cultural themes linked to Latin America without written scripts, aiming for improvisation.
      - An instructor prompted spontaneous sharing of topics which led to a focus on the animal Chihuahua, despite its cultural associations being problematic.
      - The exchange between the instructor and student regarding the Chihuahua illustrated the tension between light-heartedness and underlying cultural stereotyping.

  • Popularity of Chihuahuas:
      - Association with notable figures and media (e.g., Paris Hilton, Taco Bell commercials).
      - Hill (2005) argued that mainstream mocking often provides room for parody and highlights cultural tropes associated with items like the Chihuahua.

  • Symbolic resources and their implications:
      - Chihuahuas and other cultural symbols are conflated with Spanish and Mexicanness.
      - Questions raised about the instructor's discomfort with the student's chosen topic reflect deeper societal notions about cultural appropriation.

3. The Means by Which to Mock: Indexicality and White Public Space

  • Mock Spanish beginnings (Hill's concept):
      - Initially termed "Anglo Spanish" or "Junk Spanish" (Hill 1993).
      - English speakers utilize Spanish in limited ways to support the domination of Spanish speakers.

  • The role of Mock Spanish:
      - The appropriation of Spanish terms allows Anglos to frame Spanish as linguistically imperfect, portraying themselves as superior.
      - Notable examples:
        - "No problemo" demonstrating English speakers co-opting Spanish structures erroneously as an act of humor.
        - Usage of terms like "El cheapo" indicating a lack of grammatical respect yet reinforcing Anglo superiority.

  • The nature of 'orderly disorder':
      - Mock Spanish serves as a comedic relief or a 'non-serious' discourse, implying non-seriousness regarding Spanish speakers.

3.1 Mock Spanish as "Covert Racist Discourse"

  • Four properties identifying Mock Spanish's function (Hill 1998):
      1. Semantic Pejoration: Use of positive Spanish words in negative contexts (e.g., "nada" means "less than nothing").
      2. Mock Euphemism: Use of vulgar Spanish in place of English (e.g., using "cojones").
      3. Spanish Grammatical Elements: Addition of Spanish suffixes to form new humorously distorted expressions.
      4. Hyperanglicization: The exaggerated English phonology in forms of Spanish (e.g., "Fleas Navidad").

3.2 Gringoism as a Larger Framework for Mockery and Appropriation

  • Gringoism frames the mockery of Spanish and relates it to race and identity.
  • Reappropriation of terms such as "gringo" brings forth identity markers.
  • Gringoism promotes a community based on linguistic inadequacy and the conscious distancing from real language functionality.

3.3 Just Joking: Denying Racism in Defense of "Harmless Fun"

  • The perception of mock Spanish as harmless fun often overlooks deeper racial connotations.
  • Complexities arise when confronting mockery as both humor and a means of exerting control.

Discussion Questions

  1. Definition and significance of indexicality & white public space in the context of mocking Spanish.
  2. Differentiation between appropriation and linguistic borrowing.
  3. Reasons why mock Spanish remains unchecked as racist discourse, contrasting with other forms of English speech.
  4. Can Arellano’s journalism exemplify a subversion of the restrictions imposed by white public space? How?
Notes
  • Gratitude expressed towards scholars like Jane Hill whose work informs the analysis presented.
  • Defines key terms, such as and interchangeably uses "White" and "Anglo" throughout the text.
  • The research emphasizes interdisciplinarity across sociology, linguistics, and cultural studies.
References
  • Detailed reference list consumed from various studies tied intricately with the research arguments cited through the text.
  • Works like "The Everyday Language of White Racism" highlighting how discourse perpetuates socio-cultural orders.