Number 8
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PDF (0.05 MB)Presentation — Language as a Link: Contemporary Reflections on Inclusion, Culture and Interculturality in the Hispanic World
At a time when the White House has once again removed the Spanish page from its website —a serious development considering that Spanish is the second unofficial language of the United States and one of the most widely spoken in the country— magazines like “Glosas” take on an even more crucial role. This act reflects a disdain for the Spanish-speaking community and underscores the need for spaces that defend and promote the richness of our language and culture.
Fragmented voices: Violence, Identity, Language, and Transculturality in “Papi y el Otro“ by Luz Selenia Vásquez
Luz Selenia Vásquez’s short story “Papi y el Otro” presents a complex narrative where domestic violence, trauma caused by the Korean War, and linguistic identity struggles converge within a migratory context. Through the figure of a father who, possibly affected by a mental disorder resulting from his participation in the war and his broken English, transforms into a violent presence, and a mother who exhibits a flawless command of English, the author constructs a narrative in which language emerges as both an instrument of power and resistance. This article draws on postcolonial theories (Bhabha, Said), sociolinguistic studies (Bourdieu), and migration approaches (Appadurai), as well as Kristeva’s concept of abjection, to examine how cultural and linguistic tensions shape the characters’ identities and how violence and trauma are articulated within the everyday reality of the diaspora. Additionally, the study explores the child’s perspective, the ambivalent representation—where tenderness and rejection coexist—and situates the work within the broader context of Latina women’s (and feminist) literature in the United States, highlighting the significance of collections such as “Cuentos, Stories by Latinas.” Finally, the notion of transculturality is incorporated to demonstrate how the narrative negotiates and redefines cultural boundaries within the migratory experience. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersection between language, violence, migration, gender, transculturality, and identity in contemporary Latina literature.
PDF (0.17 MB)Linguistic attitudes and stereotypes associated with spanglish: a case study on Twitter (X)
Spanglish is a widespread phenomenon resulting from the contact between Spanish and English. This language combination transcends the linguistic level and involves cultural and identitarian dimensions. The present study explores the linguistic attitudes and stereotypes towards Spanglish expressed within the social network Twitter or X. Through the analysis of a corpus of tweets, this study aims, in the first place, to detect the predominant trends and determine if there is a polarization in opinions about Spanglish. In second place, the paper presents the factors that influence the perception of this linguistic variety, considering the motivations and stereotypes associated with its use. The results obtained suggest that the attitude towards Spanglish on the digital platform is predominantly negative, so there is a generalized stigmatization of this variety. The reasons behind this stigmatization are based on prejudices associated with this linguistic form, such as the relationship between its use and intellectual laziness, the perception of a decline of “pure” Spanish and the concern about the dominance of English. In addition, there is also an underlying complex duality: Spanglish is seen both as a sign of social inferiority and as a strategy to appear superior. These results show that, despite its widespread use, Spanglish is subject to a deep social devaluation, which generates feelings of inferiority and discrimination in its speakers, which can significantly limit their freedom of expression.
PDF (0.37 MB)An approach to the liturgical calendar in a comparative corpus of paremias: meteorological proverbs from Salento and their correspondences in the Andalusian variety of Spanish
The present contrastive study aims to offer a pragmatic view of the idiomatic symbolism associated with the saints’ calendar and its influence on meteorological proverbs. Focusing on the paremias of two dialects of northern Salento (Italy) and the Andalusian variety of Spanish, it seeks to explore cultural similarities and differences through proverbs tied to the liturgical calendar. In this context, the figure of the saint functions not only as a temporal marker but also as a cultural indicator that enriches the meaning of popular expressions. The analysis will be limited to proverbs whose internal structure contains lexical elements directly referencing the figure of a saint. For this purpose, four saints have been selected who, according to popular wisdom, are closely associated with atmospheric events that typically coincide with the dates of their feast days. Local peculiarities, in particular, are reflected in the analysis of the culturemes present in the dialectal paremias. This approach highlights how these communities shape extra-linguistic realities tied to meteorology and faith and how these realities are reflected in proverbs that richly illustrate their idiosyncrasies.
PDF (0.24 MB)A journey through the world of Spanglish: the case study of “Don Quijote en Manhattan”
This article explores the phenomenon of spanglish as a unique manifestation of linguistic and cultural hybridity within the Hispanic community in the United States. Beginning with its historical roots tied to migration and cultural exchange, the study examines how spanglish serves as a medium of resistance and identity formation. By analyzing the novella “Don Quijote en Manhattan” by Gerardo Piña-Rosales, the article investigates how spanglish is employed as both a narrative tool and a reflection of bilingual and bicultural realities. Piña-Rosales intertwines the classic figure of Don Quixote with contemporary urban issues, emphasizing the role of spanglish in expressing the experiences and struggles of Hispanic immigrants. Using a combination of historical, socio-cultural and linguistic analyses, the research highlights the linguistic richness and social implications of spanglish as a marker of cultural resilience and adaptation. It concludes by situating spanglish within the broader context of multiculturalism, recognizing its value as a symbol of identity and cultural interplay in a globalized world.
PDF (0.23 MB)Dealing with Anglicisms in audiovisual translation: a comparison between Spanish and Italian
The aim of this paper is to deal with “Anglicisms” (English loans) in the field of audiovisual translation and, more specifically, in subtitling. After briefly framing from a theoretical point of view the complex and interesting phenomenon of Anglicisms in relation, among other things, to English as a lingua franca, we intend to observe how it is put into practice in the context of audiovisual translation. For our research purposes, we have selected a recent Spanish television series produced and distributed by Netflix: “Machos Alfa” (2022). Following the process of transcribing the subtitles of both the original Spanish version and the Italian version, all cases in which Anglicisms have been adopted, have then been identified. Subsequently, the analysis of these anglicisms, both in Spanish and Italian, has been carried out in order to analyse the differences in usage and frequency in these two cognate languages. In the conclusions, some initial considerations are offered to lay the foundations for further research.
PDF (0.19 MB)From the Tributes series III
PDF (0.70 MB)Review: En otra voz. Antología de la literatura hispana de los Estados Unidos
This review seeks to offer an overview of the extensive work carried out by Professor Nicolás Kanellos and his team, a work that focuses on Hispanic literature in the United States from its colonial origins to the present. Through 17 chapters, structured into four general thematic cores, this second edition of the anthology offers the reader an exploration of Hispanic works and themes that give access to a much broader literary repertoire than it is usually thought.
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