ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at policies surrounding Spanish as a heritage language in the United States (US). First, we examine the history and development of language ideologies as they are reflected in policies and language practices in sectors of US society. Second, in response to these policies, we describe current contributions from a number of stakeholders that can promote the sustainability of Spanish among US Latinxs across generations. Finally, noting that national policies for language maintenance and use in education and the workplace are largely focused on normative monolingualism, we encourage a bottom-up approach in which local communities can influence the ideological stances taken toward Spanish on a local level to support Spanish maintenance. In particular, grassroots initiatives to promote Spanish language literacy and more inclusive media representation can work within policy frameworks to provide resources for the preservation of Spanish as a heritage language in the US.
