Racialization and Language in Nativist America: Testimonios of Spanish Heritage Language Learners in Communities with Low Concentrations of Spanish Speakers

This study examines how racialization and nativist ideologies shape the linguistic identities and heritage language development of twelve second-generation Spanish heritage language learners in Massachusetts communities with low concentrations of Spanish speakers. Drawing on Latinx Critical Theory (LatCrit), raciolinguistics, and participant testimonios, the study analyzes learners’ experiences across both Trump administrations. Findings show that participants’ Spanish was shaped by racialized othering, institutional neglect, and limited community affordances, while also functioning as a resource for survival, identity, professional opportunity, and symbolic resistance. The study calls for Spanish heritage language curricular tracks, critical pedagogies, and stronger institutional commitments to linguistic justice.