Language Loss Among Latines in the U.S.
Open Access DepositedWhat Was Kept / Lo Que Se Perdió
our understandings of race, ethnicity, and culture
tradition and assimilation
What Was Kept / Lo Que Se Perdió exists in the in-betweens. It is the product of tensions between Latinidad and Americanization
cultural preservation, erasure, and reimagining. It is simultaneously a space for grief and acceptance. It is an altar for the past, the present, and the future. This body of work acknowledges the unique positionality of Latines in the United States, whose diverse cultures have been altered, shaped, and undone by forces of colonization and imperialism. Here, language is investigated as a primary tether to culture. It shapes our understanding of the world and influences who we are in community with. What happens when our family’s language is not passed down or retained? How does this impact our sense of identity? How does it affect our connection to the communities around us—both the immediate and the far-reaching? How is solidarity created through language, how is it fractured when that language is eroded, and how can it be re-created through a shared desire to recoup what has been lost? This collaborative project is a celebration of and a memorial for language. In it, I create space for my grandparents’ first tongue, their choice to withhold it, and my grief for this severed tie, as well as for the stories and experiences shared by the many young Latines who contributed graciously to this project.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
MontaxF1o_gwu_0075M_17931.pdf | 2026-06-24 | Open Access |
|