Research Issues in Mexican American English

Abstract

Research durign the past decade has greatly increased our understanding of Southwest Spanish and the shift from Spanish to English that is taking place in Mexican-American communities. Mexican American Vernacular English (MAVE); however; has remained a relatively neglected area of investigation; despite the fact that English has become the primary or sole language of many Mexican Americans. This article examines work on MAVE that has been accomplished to date and proposes a research program designed to fill the most obvious gaps in our knowledge. Using data and examples from recent and ongoing research in Los Angeles and San Antonio; I argue that sociolinguistic studies of MAVE are necessary to achieve a full understanding of the linguistic repertoire and social dynamics of Mexican American communities. Such studies also have the potential to contribute to our understanding of language shift and to formal linguistic theory. Finally; systematic study of MAVE is needed to counter linguistic stereotypes that negatively impact on the education of Mexican American children.