Accents are generally considered markers of cultural and social identity; therefore, modifying them can have significant implications for the speakers, especially immigrants adapting to new sociolinguistic environments. This chapter offers a broader view of linguistic variation in diasporic contexts by exploring the psychosocial dynamics between language, identity, and migration, with a focus on accent accommodation in the Cuban diaspora. Drawing on communication accommodation theory and Cuban migration history, the chapter discusses opposing attitudes to accent accommodation as well as identity debates surrounding the notion of Cubanness. It also describes relevant phonetic and morphosyntactic features of the Cuban variety of Spanish, regional dialectal diversity, and the integration challenges faced by Cuban immigrants. The analysis challenges established notions of Cuban identity and suggests that accent accommodation reflects both pragmatic adaptation and identity evolution.

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The Sounds of Identity: Attitudes to Accent Accommodation in the Cuban Diaspora

  • Daína Eileen Pestana Blay

摘要

Accents are generally considered markers of cultural and social identity; therefore, modifying them can have significant implications for the speakers, especially immigrants adapting to new sociolinguistic environments. This chapter offers a broader view of linguistic variation in diasporic contexts by exploring the psychosocial dynamics between language, identity, and migration, with a focus on accent accommodation in the Cuban diaspora. Drawing on communication accommodation theory and Cuban migration history, the chapter discusses opposing attitudes to accent accommodation as well as identity debates surrounding the notion of Cubanness. It also describes relevant phonetic and morphosyntactic features of the Cuban variety of Spanish, regional dialectal diversity, and the integration challenges faced by Cuban immigrants. The analysis challenges established notions of Cuban identity and suggests that accent accommodation reflects both pragmatic adaptation and identity evolution.