Afro-Hispanic linguistics. Challenges, misrepresentations, and assumptions

Abstract

This introductory chapter establishes some of the important definitions that will appear throughout the volume, especially for terms related to Afro-Hispanic groups and social justice. We establish the scope of this volume to include the Spanish varieties spoken in Equatorial Guinea, as well as the Afro- Hispanic Languages of the Americas (AHLAs). We are concerned with social justice opportunities in which the field of sociolinguistics can promote equitable power sharing, celebrate diversity, and cultivate social and personal growth, reconciliation, and material benefit for marginalized communities. We postulate that the field of sociolinguistics is already equipped to incorporate a social justice framework by adapting Kubota’s (2008) Four Ds of culture (descriptive approach, acknowledgment of linguistic diversity, affirm that variation is dynamic, and accept the discursive nature of linguistic knowledge). In this chapter, we also discuss some of the challenges, misrepresentations, and assumptions present in Afro-Hispanic linguistics, especially those relevant to the varieties discussed in this volume. Challenges may be related to community access, participation, and attitudes towards language variation and change, bilingualism, and dialect and language shift. Misrepresentation may originate within the community from internalized negative stereotypes; it may also come from outside the community, as non-local researchers apply a colonial, racial, or uninformed lens to their descriptions of the community and its language. Furthermore, unfounded assumptions may add to these challenges and misrepresentations because they interfere with how participants are identified and recruited, in addition to shaping how data are organized, analyzed, and presented. We conclude by providing a brief overview of how these challenges, misrepresentations, and assumptions have shaped the study of Afro-Hispanic varieties presented in this volume.