An American Language The History of Spanish in the United States

"This is the most comprehensive book I've ever read about the use of Spanish in the U.S. Incredible research. Read it to understand our country. Spanish is, indeed, an American language."--Jorge Ramos An American Language is a tour de force that revolutionizes our understanding of U.S. history. It reveals the origins of Spanish as a language binding residents of the Southwest to the politics and culture of an expanding nation in the 1840s. As the West increasingly integrated into the United States over the following century, struggles over power, identity, and citizenship transformed the place of the Spanish language in the nation. An American Language is a history that reimagines what it means to be an American--with profound implications for our own time.Cover -- AN AMERICAN LANGUAGE -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- CONTENTS -- Illustrations -- Introduction -- PART ONE. A Language of Politics, 1848-1902 -- 1. United by Land -- 2. Translation, a Measure of Power -- 3. Choosing Language -- 4. A Language of Citizenship -- 5. The United States Sees Language -- PART TWO. A Political Language, 1902-1945 -- 6. A Language of Identity -- 7. The Limits of Americanization -- 8. Strategic Pan-Americanism -- 9. The Federal Government Rediscovers Spanish -- 10. Competing Nationalisms: Puerto Rico and New Mexico -- Epilogue -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Notes -- Select Bibliography -- Index"This is the most comprehensive book I've ever read about the use of Spanish in the U.S. Incredible research. Read it to understand our country. Spanish is, indeed, an American language."--Jorge Ramos An American Language is a tour de force that revolutionizes our understanding of U.S. history. It reveals the origins of Spanish as a language binding residents of the Southwest to the politics and culture of an expanding nation in the 1840s. As the West increasingly integrated into the United States over the following century, struggles over power, identity, and citizenship transformed the place of the Spanish language in the nation. An American Language is a history that reimagines what it means to be an American--with profound implications for our own time.Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, YYYY. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries