Spanish and Identity among Latin@s in the U.S.

Research on language and identity among U. S. Latin@s has addressed the value and social meaning of 'Spanish' and 'Spanglish' in a range of social contexts in diverse bilingual communities in many parts of the country. This chapter explores the development of a theoretical approach to language and identity, the different types of research that have been conducted on Spanish and identity among heritage speakers, and the findings of such research in both community and educational contexts. It considers the implications of this research for the education of Spanish-English bilinguals in the U. S., and argues that there is a need for research that examines heritage speakers' individual histories and considers each context as a place where multiple discourses intersect. The chapter discusses the critical issues and topics that have emerged in scholarly research on language and identity in general and with respect to Spanish speakers in the U. S.