“We Don’t Have Physical or Mental Limitations”: Agency in the Discourse of Latinas in Oregon

Abstract

This qualitative study analyzes the narratives of five Latina women living in the state of Oregon (United States) in relation to their social interactions in the service sector and public spaces of the communities in which they live. The objective is to learn about their experiences and observe if there is a critical sociolinguistic awareness that reaffirms an agency in the destination country. Drawing on a theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis and raciolinguistics, three common thematic axes were obtained: the absence of Spanish in public places, the white gaze in linguistic exchanges, and multilingualism in public life. These narratives show how critical awareness triggers the resilience and agency that has allowed these women to challenge racist and linguistic discriminations in the United States.

Keywords

• Latina women
• migration
• raciolinguistics
• United States
• Latin America

How to Cite

Copyright (c) 2024 Migraciones Internacionales

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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