Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

The silken cord

An essay in honor of Jane Hill
  • Richard Delgado
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
The Persistence of Language
This chapter is in the book The Persistence of Language

Abstract

In honor of Professor Hill’s courageous stand against mock Spanish in a state, Arizona, that has been taking anti-Latino nativism to new extremes, this selection examines Official English laws in light of the Southwest’s hidden history of Latino lynching. It posits that suppression of Spanish severs the connection of citizens, especially ones of Mexican descent, with the past. Not only do these laws contribute to cultural ignorance, they leave young Latinos and Latinas without defenses against hateful stereotypes – in effect, a second form of lynching.

Abstract

In honor of Professor Hill’s courageous stand against mock Spanish in a state, Arizona, that has been taking anti-Latino nativism to new extremes, this selection examines Official English laws in light of the Southwest’s hidden history of Latino lynching. It posits that suppression of Spanish severs the connection of citizens, especially ones of Mexican descent, with the past. Not only do these laws contribute to cultural ignorance, they leave young Latinos and Latinas without defenses against hateful stereotypes – in effect, a second form of lynching.

Downloaded on 14.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/clu.8.16del/html
Scroll to top button