The Politics of Language in Puerto Rico - by Amílcar Antonio Barreto (Paperback)

About the Book

This is the first book in English to analyze the controversial language policies passed by the Puerto Rican government in the 1990s. It is also the first to explore the connections between language and cultural identity and politics on the Caribbean island.

Book Synopsis

This is the first book in English to analyze the controversial language policies passed by the Puerto Rican government in the 1990s. It is also the first to explore the connections between language and cultural identity and politics on the Caribbean island.

Review Quotes

"A significant contribution to the continuing contentious debate on the status of Puerto Rico. . . . In addition to archival resources, the author includes interviews with prominent Puerto Rican political leaders in and out of government to provide a historical and contemporary basis for understanding the language issue on the island."--Choice "A welcome addition to the literature on American politics . . . because it broadens the debate concerning what Puerto Rico is actually all about."--American Political Science Review "A systematic analysis of the factors that explain the Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) government's decision of making Spanish the only official language of the island in 1991. . . . Shows how the autonomist governor Rafael Hernández Colón wanted to send a political message to Congress and to federal policymakers about the cultural and linguistic unfeasibility of statehood for Puerto Rico."--Centro Journal