Bilingual rapping in Yucatán, Mexico: strategic choices for Maya language legitimation and revitalisation
Abstract
This paper explores the sociolinguistic practices of a group of young bilingual rappers in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Against the background of ongoing language shift to Spanish in the region, the language choices of a group of Maya youths involved in Hip Hop culture and their agency as policy-makers at the grassroots level is analysed. While language mixing and hybridisation are everyday communicative practices for Maya speakers, rapping either completely in Maya or in a clear-cut alternation between Spanish and Maya is a conscious strategy for language promotion among these youths. I argue that the language choices in their music performances, which are underpinned by an essentialist outlook on language contact, accrue authenticity and legitimacy to Maya and can ultimately work towards the revitalisation of this language.
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Huang, K. (2023) · Current Issues in Language Planning · doi:10.1080/14664208.2022.2145540 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Cru, J.
- Affiliations
- Newcastle University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Cru, Josep
- ORCID
- Cru, Josep
- Venue
- International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-07-21
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 481-496
- ISSN
- 1367-0050 (ISSN-L)
- 1747-7522
- OpenAlex
- W2292041352
- Semantic Scholar
- d88d6a90cce0198ea67663bb7018052801ebd88e
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 5.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Linguistic and Sociocultural Studies
- Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Multilingual Education and Policy
- Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Language and Culture
- Keywords
- Maya language, language revitalization, language shift, code-mixing, language choice, hip-hop culture, language legitimacy, language promotion, language contact, youth agency, Yucatán Peninsula
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