Date of Award
Spring 4-25-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Edward Schortman
Abstract
This thesis explores the relationship between English-Spanish bilingual practices and Latino identity in three television series: ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A? (1977-1980), Mia Mundo (2012-2014), and Jane the Virgin (2014-Present). Making use of Bhatt and Bolonyai’s (2010) model of codeswitching and Barth’s Boundary Theory (1969), I analyze the strategic uses of language depicted on each show and the broader linguistic and cultural imaginaries they mobilize. I set these media texts in relation to historically-bound structures of power (both material and ideological) that delimit Latinos’ possibilities for self-definition. Ultimately, I seek to investigate the way in which these shows utilize linguistic practices that have been traditionally outside the realm of dominant constructions of ethnic authenticity and American citizenship.
Recommended Citation
Velasquez, Camila, "The Language(s) of Latinidad: Scripting Ethnic Identity in in ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A?, Mia Mundo, and Jane the Virgin" (2016). Honors Theses. 168.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/honorstheses/168
Rights Statement
All rights reserved. This copy is provided to the Kenyon Community solely for individual academic use. For any other use, please contact the copyright holder for permission.