Language, Identity and Justice
The Anthropolitical Worlds of Ana Celia Zentella
Will be published approx. on 17. November 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-83668-464-0 (ISBN)
Description
With linguistic and cultural diversity increasingly under attack, Ana Celia Zentella's work becomes more and more poignant
Now more than ever, questions of the interplay and interdependency between academic work and activism are crucial. This book traces these questions through the work of one thinker, Ana Celia Zentella, who has made important contributions to the development of both linguistics and anthropology over the course of her career. The book presents key pieces of her anthropolitical work, the lived experience of language use, and activism. It traces how her thinking has evolved and how her activism has informed her academic work, and vice versa. The book will be both a valuable introduction to her work for new students, and an accessible selection of reading for scholars wishing to trace the development of key current debates in linguistics and anthropology.
Now more than ever, questions of the interplay and interdependency between academic work and activism are crucial. This book traces these questions through the work of one thinker, Ana Celia Zentella, who has made important contributions to the development of both linguistics and anthropology over the course of her career. The book presents key pieces of her anthropolitical work, the lived experience of language use, and activism. It traces how her thinking has evolved and how her activism has informed her academic work, and vice versa. The book will be both a valuable introduction to her work for new students, and an accessible selection of reading for scholars wishing to trace the development of key current debates in linguistics and anthropology.
Reviews / Votes
Zentella's collected essays remain essential readings in sociolinguistics and bilingualism. In today's contested climate, these writings illuminate how language shapes identity, inequality, and belonging. Through rich ethnographic insight, these writings challenge deficit perspectives while affirming bilingual lives' dignity, creativity, and complexity. This volume must be read by both new and established scholars. * Guadalupe Valdes, Stanford University, USA *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Bristol
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Channel View Publications Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-83668-464-0 (9781836684640)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Ana Celia Zentella | Adam Schwartz | Bonnie Urciuoli
Language, Identity and Justice
The Anthropolitical Worlds of Ana Celia Zentella
Book
approx. 11/2026
Multilingual Matters
€157.50
Not yet published
Persons
Ana Celia Zentella is Professor Emerita, UC San Diego, USA. A central figure in what she has named 'anthropolitical linguistics', she has studied varieties of Spanish and English, Spanglish, language socialization in U.S. Latin@ families, and linguistic intolerance facilitated by English-only laws and anti-bilingual education legislation.
Adam Schwartz is an Associate Professor of Language, Culture and Society at Oregon State University, USA, and is a critical applied linguist.
Bonnie Urciuoli is Emerita Professor of Anthropology at Hamilton College, USA. Her areas of interest are linguistic, semiotic, and cultural anthropology.
Cristian Aquino-Sterling is Associate Professor of Bi-/multilingual Education at Texas Tech University, USA. He is co-founder and director of the International Bilingual Education Research Group (www.icberg.org).
Adam Schwartz is an Associate Professor of Language, Culture and Society at Oregon State University, USA, and is a critical applied linguist.
Bonnie Urciuoli is Emerita Professor of Anthropology at Hamilton College, USA. Her areas of interest are linguistic, semiotic, and cultural anthropology.
Cristian Aquino-Sterling is Associate Professor of Bi-/multilingual Education at Texas Tech University, USA. He is co-founder and director of the International Bilingual Education Research Group (www.icberg.org).
Content
Acknowledgements. Ana Celia Zentella
Introduction. Bonnie Urciuoli, Adam Schwartz, Cristian R. Aquino Sterling
Chapter 1. Ana Celia Zentella: A Nuyorican's View of our History and Language(S) In New York (1945-1965).
Chapter 2. Ana Celia Zentella with Richard P. Duran: "Ta Bien, you could answer me en cualquier idioma": Puerto Rican Code Switching in Bilingual Classrooms
Chapter 3. Ana Celia Zentella: Returned Migration, Language, and Identity: Puerto Rican Bilinguals in Dos Worlds/Two Mundos
Chapter 4. Ana Celia Zentella: The 'Chiquita-Fication' of U.S. Latinos and their Languages, or, Why we Need an Anthro-Political Linguistics
Chapter 5. Ana Celia Zentella: The Grammar of Spanglish
Chapter 6. Ana Celia Zentella: 'Jose can you see': Latin@ Responses to Racist Discourse
Chapter 7. Ana Celia Zentella: Dime con quien hablas y te dire quien eres: Linguistic (In)security and Latino Unity
Chapter 8. Ana Celia Zentella, R. Otheguy and D. Livert: Language and Dialect Contact in Spanish in New York: Towards the Formation of a Speech Community
Chapter 9. Ana Celia Zentella: Books as the Magic Bullet
Chapter 10. Ana Celia Zentella: 'Socials,' 'Poch@s,' 'Normals,' y lo demas: School Networks and Linguistic Capital of High School Students on the Tijuana-San Diego Border.
Afterword. Ana Celia Zentella
Introduction. Bonnie Urciuoli, Adam Schwartz, Cristian R. Aquino Sterling
Chapter 1. Ana Celia Zentella: A Nuyorican's View of our History and Language(S) In New York (1945-1965).
Chapter 2. Ana Celia Zentella with Richard P. Duran: "Ta Bien, you could answer me en cualquier idioma": Puerto Rican Code Switching in Bilingual Classrooms
Chapter 3. Ana Celia Zentella: Returned Migration, Language, and Identity: Puerto Rican Bilinguals in Dos Worlds/Two Mundos
Chapter 4. Ana Celia Zentella: The 'Chiquita-Fication' of U.S. Latinos and their Languages, or, Why we Need an Anthro-Political Linguistics
Chapter 5. Ana Celia Zentella: The Grammar of Spanglish
Chapter 6. Ana Celia Zentella: 'Jose can you see': Latin@ Responses to Racist Discourse
Chapter 7. Ana Celia Zentella: Dime con quien hablas y te dire quien eres: Linguistic (In)security and Latino Unity
Chapter 8. Ana Celia Zentella, R. Otheguy and D. Livert: Language and Dialect Contact in Spanish in New York: Towards the Formation of a Speech Community
Chapter 9. Ana Celia Zentella: Books as the Magic Bullet
Chapter 10. Ana Celia Zentella: 'Socials,' 'Poch@s,' 'Normals,' y lo demas: School Networks and Linguistic Capital of High School Students on the Tijuana-San Diego Border.
Afterword. Ana Celia Zentella