William G. Milán

Language and ethnicity in the periodical publications of four American ethnic groups

Despite the differences that exist between Franco-American, German-American, Hispanic-American and Jewish-American press samples for 1980 the different ethnic presses tended to publish most frequently about very similar topics, particularly when items in their respective non-English languages are considered. Items published in these languages mention ethnic topics more frequently (but not necessarily more positively) than do items published in English. A basic similarity in immigrant interests and experiences across ethnic groups and growing differences between their respective American-born generations (including differences in social mobility and in the indigenization of preimmigrational ethnicity) serves to make the four non-English ethnic press samples more similar to each other than are the four ethnic press samples in English with respect to one another. Furthermore, the four English press samples are also more similar to their respective non-English counterparts than they are to each other. However it is in the English press samples that language advocacy and ethnic advocacy are most marked. The Hispanic ethnic press is the most ambivalent of all. It publishes more frequently than do the others about economic and political accomplishments, language and Introduction Americas ethnic press, like Americas ethnic communities, exhibits considerable diversity. It is possible to classify the many hundreds of ethnic publications in numerous ways: for example, by ethnic affiliation, or by language. We can indicate whether a periodical is in the ethnic mother tongue (EMT), in English or bilingual. A publication may be totally/primarily in English, totally/ primarily in the EMT or reveal a rather even balance between the two languages. Sometimes the only item in the EMT (or English) language is a translation of the identical content (frequently an editorial) written in English (or the EMT). Many periodicals maintain a strict segregation between languages; at least one periodical alternates the order of languages from one issue to the next. Another important distinction to make in the ethnic press is the source of the material. Some American publications function primarily as conduits for news from the old country, with little reference to the ethnic community in the US; sometimes even news of the US comes from press services in the old country that provide it in the EMT and thus obviate the need to translate American (English) wire service material. On the other hand, other ethnic periodicals are concerned almost entirely with local news, and the old country is mentioned only as it affects the local community. All the foregoing classifications (according to ethnic group, language and source of material) can be made by an almost cursory glance at the publications to be studied. Content analysis, on the other hand, requires a more detailed study of subject matter and the attitudes of writers (and readers). It is the latter approach that we have adopted in this study of the periodic press of four American ethnic groups (Franco-American, GermanAmerican, Jewish-American and Hispanic-American). Relative frequency of most commonly mentioned ethnic topics Among the thousands of items of ethnic interest studMultilingua 2-2 (1983), 83-99. 0167-8507/83/0002-0000

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

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The rise and fall of the ethnic revival

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.