Esther G. Lowy

Ethnic activists view the ethnic revival and its language consequences: An Interview Study of Three American Ethnolinguistic Minorities

French, Spanish and Yiddish community ‘activists’ each claim an ‘ethnic revival’ in their respective communities during the past 10–15 years and consider their ethnic mother tongue to be its most vital and visible expression. The Spanish activists are, generally, the most hopeful among the three groups, and the Chicanos the most hopeful among the Spanish activists, claiming to have taken their que from the Black Civil Rights movement. French and Yiddish activists point to ‘Hispanics’ as the ultimate source of the ethnic revival within their own communities. Native born activists, and particularly the hitherto most Americanised among them, most commonly have positive attitudes, expectations and evaluations with respect to the ethnic revival and the future of their ethinic mother tongue in America, although they are less commonly concerned about a puristic standard of language usage.