NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1110210
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1358-684X
EISSN: N/A
"Radical Bilingualism": Language Borders and the Case of Puerto Rican Children's Literature
Garcia, Marilisa Jimenez
Changing English: Studies in Culture and Education, v18 n4 p417-423 2011
Puerto Rican children's literature reflects the complex history of Puerto Rico, an island that has been perpetually under colonial rule. Island and US Puerto Ricans represent a cultural identity with indefinite geographical, national and linguistic borders. Although both groups have created distinct communities, both remain loyal to Spanish as a marker for identity, making the inclusion of Spanish necessary in literary representations. Children's writers such as Pura Belpré, Nicholasa Mohr, Judith Ortiz-Cofer and Carmen Bernier-Grand underline the tension involved when depicting this group of US citizens in two languages: the language of the conqueror and the conquered. Yet, even while acknowledging foreign languages, US children's literature as an institution often upholds monolingual discourse. In this essay, I present the case of Puerto Rican children's literature to argue that children's literature has yet to adopt a bilingual perspective.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Puerto Rico
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A