Building on Strength: Language and Literacy in Latino Families and Communities

Abstract

This collection of articles by teacher-researchers debunks the conventional myth of a monolithic U.S. Latino community by revealing the inter- and intra-group diversity of language socialization patterns, cultural and linguistic attitudes, and literacy practices among Latinos. The eleven chapters of Building on Strength: Language and Literacy in Latino Families and Communities present case studies of Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, Cuban, and Central American families in various regions of the country. These are preceded by an insightful introduction by editor and linguist Ana Celia Zentella (University of California, San Diego) who reviews the current situation of Latinos in the U.S., argues for a language socialization focus in the study of first and second language acquisition, and explains the anthropolitical perspective on language and literacy which served as the intellectual impetus for the volume.