Chicano Dialects
Carmen Tafolla, a Chicana writer and educator, discusses various Spanish dialects and perceptions of Chicano Spanish speakers. Tafoya explains that Chicano Spanish is different from dialects because of its preservation of 16th century grammer and words. Moreover, it has borrowed many words from English to form a mixture of both languages. She notes that English in the Southwest has also borrowed many Spanish words. Chicano Spanish is very similar to Mexican Spanish and both have incorporated many Nahutl words.
Tafolla also discusses Caló, the language spoken among pachucos. Caló, she explains, reflects the earliest realization that Chicanos are bicultural and as such is a mixture of both English and Spanish to create a new language. She notes that it bears some striking resemblances to the Caló spoken among the Gitanos in Spain. She concludes that despite what many Chicanos have been taught, Chicano Spanish is not inferior or bad to other forms of Spanish. She argues that it is better to realize that no language is good or bad, only that it is a means to understanding.
KEYWORDS
AccentsAcculturation
Aztecs
Biculturalism
Bronco
Caló
Castellano
Chicano Language
Chicano Spanish
Conquistador
Corral
Dialects
Don Quijote
Gitanos
Gypsy
Language Change
Latin America
Latin Americanism
Loan Words
Mexican Spanish
Nahuatl
Pachucos
Professional associations
Sixteenth Century Spanish
Spanglés
Spanish
Speaking Spanish in the Schools
Tex-Mex
The Roma
Transculturation
Vaquero