Ethnic Identity and Bilingualism Attitudes

Attitudes toward bilingualism among a national sample of persons of Mexican descent are cast in a set of social psychological forces in which structural integration and childhood linguistic environment influence ethnic identity, which in turn influences bilingualism attitudes through its impact on political consciousness. Support is provided by evidence that ethnic identity, specifically a politically-framed conception of self as Chicana/Chicano and as part of la raza, fosters positive views of bilingualism both directly and indirectly through political consciousness. Ethnic identity also influences bilingualism attitudes through a different and contradictory path. Traditional self-conceptions as Mexican and Spanish-speaking directly encourage support of bilingualism but, at the same time, engage conservative political attitudes that discourage it.