ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explores the centrality of language rights in the work of addressing violence done to historically marginalized groups in the context of the language and writing classroom. The seemingly small but rich space of a writing classroom can be seen as a promising site for enactment, cultivation, and protection of language rights. Language rights are usually considered broader than linguistic rights. Language rights are therefore understood to be a part of basic human rights. Language rights in the context of accords and treaties were usually connected to discussions about minority rights. An understanding of language rights as a human right is critical for the work of the university writing class. Cultivating the rights of language minority students by explicitly acknowledging their translingual status rather than “addressing the needs of their language minority status” affirms the student’s right to their identity.
