Exposing Prejudice: Puerto Rican Experiences Of Language, Race, And Class

Puerto Ricans in the United States, like other migrant minorities, face an array of linguistic judgments. They are told they don't succeed because they don't speak English. They are told their English is “impure” or “broken” because it has been “mixed” with Spanish. They are told that they sound inarticulate and that if they speak “correct” English, with no sign of Spanish influence—most particularly with no accent, they will get better jobs. In short, Puerto Ricans in the United States are t…