Full Citation

Title: Spanish for Americans? A Critical Mass Model of Bilingualism among U.S.-Born Hispanics

Citation Type: Conference Paper

Publication Year: 2001

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Abstract: This paper compares two contrasting ideals of what it means to become or to be American within the context of the language choices made by Hispanics in the United States. Its overarching question is: What contextual and individual-level factors influence the decision to maintain Spanish, or see to it that one's children learn and maintain it? I first model the configuration of area-specific circumstances that influence the incentive for bilingualism: the degree to which Spanish-English bilingualism (as opposed to English monolingualism) is viable or desirable in a particular metro area. When contextual incentives for bilingualism are included in individual-level models, context - especially bilinguals' status and Hispanics' political influence - greatly influences the odds of bilingualism among native-born Hispanic adults. Independent of incentives, there is evidence of a strong, positive critical mass effect.

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Authors: Linton, April

Conference Name: ASA

Publisher Location: Anaheim, California

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Education, Other

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