Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 1:00 PM
Subjects
Social sciences, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
Advisor
Carolyn Quam
Student Level
Undergraduate
Abstract
This study investigates language and identity among speakers of East Asian and Southeast Asian languages in the United States, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent rise in anti-Asian hate. We adopt a mixed-methods approach guided by three research questions exploring: (1) changes in language use since pandemic onset, (2) changes in perspectives on language identity since pandemic onset, and (3) effects of geopolitical climate, specifically the rise in anti-Asian hate, on language use and perspectives on language identity. Qualitative methodologies allowed us to capture a diverse range of language experiences. Many (but not all) participants indicated that the pandemic increased their heritage-language (HL) use due to more frequent interactions with HL-speaking family members. Several participants reported using the HL less in public due to concerns about anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes. At the same time, many participants reported that the pandemic and the rise in anti-Asian hate led to a renewed commitment to preserving and passing on their HL and culture. The results reveal complex ways in which the current geopolitical context is both promoting and discouraging heritage language maintenance among East Asian and Southeast Asian language speakers in the US.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Exploring Attrition and Linguistic Shifts: The Impact of COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Discrimination on the East and Southeast Asian Diaspora
This study investigates language and identity among speakers of East Asian and Southeast Asian languages in the United States, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent rise in anti-Asian hate. We adopt a mixed-methods approach guided by three research questions exploring: (1) changes in language use since pandemic onset, (2) changes in perspectives on language identity since pandemic onset, and (3) effects of geopolitical climate, specifically the rise in anti-Asian hate, on language use and perspectives on language identity. Qualitative methodologies allowed us to capture a diverse range of language experiences. Many (but not all) participants indicated that the pandemic increased their heritage-language (HL) use due to more frequent interactions with HL-speaking family members. Several participants reported using the HL less in public due to concerns about anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes. At the same time, many participants reported that the pandemic and the rise in anti-Asian hate led to a renewed commitment to preserving and passing on their HL and culture. The results reveal complex ways in which the current geopolitical context is both promoting and discouraging heritage language maintenance among East Asian and Southeast Asian language speakers in the US.