Code-Switching in Bilingual Chicano Literature
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1981 Code-switching in bilingual Chicano literature Teresa S. Longo The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Longo, Teresa S., "Code-switching in bilingual Chicano literature" (1981). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5399. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5399 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1976 Th is is an unpublished manuscript in which copyright sub s i s t s . A ny further r e p r in t in g of it s contents must be approved BY THE AUTHOR. Ma n sf ie l d L ibrary U n iv e r s it y of Montana Date : MAR 1 0 198! CODE-SWITCHING IN BILINGUAL CHICANO LITERATURE By Teresa S. Longo B.A., University of Montana, 1978 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1981 Approved by: t-f 9- Chairman,airman, BocirdBocird ofo Examiners Dean, Graduate School f o 2 / z, 6/% j________________________ _ Date UMI Number: E P 40863 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI E P 40863 ' Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Longo, Teresa S., M.A., March 20, 1981 Spanish Code-switching in Bilingual Chicano Literature (93 pp.) Director: Anthony A. Beltramo This study examines the use of code-switching in bilingual Chi cano literature as it appears in three plays, four short stories, and six poems. They are Jamanegs by Lino Landy and Ricardo Lopez Landy, El Cuento de Pancho Diablo by Carlos Morton, The Day of the Swallows by Estela Portillo ae Trambley, I Viene by Diane de Anda, Nambe— Year One by Orlando Romero, The Chosen One El Arco Iris the Missionary Juan El Mestizo Y El Consego by Octavio I. Romano, V, Letters to Louise by Abelardo Delgado, Put It On My Desk by Mar cel a Trujillo, Lonely Vietnam by Pedro B. Anchondo, Coachella Valley, 1973 by Cordelia Candelaria, Nuestra Barrio and Unex p e c te d ly : My E ig h t Gloom Came by Alurista, and Jugabamos/We P layed by Tino Villanueva. Chapter 1 introduces the origins of Chicano literature. Chap ter 2 defines Chicano literature. Chapter 3 reviews the themes of Chicano literature. Chapter 4 is an overview of two journals, E l G rito and Grito del Sol, from 1967- to 1978. All of the works investigated in this study were published in E l G rito or G rito d e l S o l. Chapter 5 discusses the linguistic phenomena, interfer ence, integration, and code-switching. Chapter 6 is a perusal of code-switching in three plays. Chapter 7 examines code-switching in four short stories. Chapter 8 scrutinizes code-switching in six poems. Chapter 9, the conclusion, addresses three questions: (1) what is the purpose of English-Spanish code-switching in bi lingual Chicano literature? (2) is English normally the language of information or narration among Mexican-American writers and Spanish the language used for sty listic embroidery? and (3) does code-switching provide a bilingual author with stylistic alterna tives which enhance the a rtistic value of a work? TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ............................................ ii Chapter 1. THE ORIGINS OF CHICANO LITERATURE .................................... 1 2. DEFINITION OF CHICANO LITERATURE ...................... 5 3. THEMES ........ ............................ ........ 7 Themes from the Mexican/Indian Past ........................... 9 Themes that Contrast the Mexican Past with Present Life in the United States . 9 Themes that Immediately Treat Life in the United States ........................................ 9 4. AN OVERVIEW OF EL GRITO AND GRITO DEL SOL ...................... 11 5. LINGUISTIC PHENOMENA IN CHICANO LITERATURE . ............................................................................ 15 Interference ....... ................................................. 15 Integration ................................................................... 16 Code-switching - . .................................................. 16 Metaphorical Switching ...................................................... 17 Situational Switching .......................................................... 18 Phonetic Switching . 19 iii Chapter Page 6. DRAMA ........... 21 Jamanegs .............. ........... 21 El Cuenfo de Pancho Diablo .............. 29 The Day o f the Swallcnos .......... 36 7. THE SHORT STORY ...... ................. 43 I Viene ......... 43 Nambe— Ie a r One ....... 50 The Chosen One El Aroo Iris the Missionary Juan El Mestizo I E l Consejo . .............. 56 Letters to Louise . .................... 63 8. POETRY ........................ 70 Put It On My Desk ........... 70 Lonely Vietnam ........................... 71 Coachella Valley3 1973 . 74 Nuestro Barrio ........................... 77 U nexpectedly: My B ig h t Gloom Came ............ 79 Jugabamos/We Played 82 9. SUMMARY Conclusion ....................... 87 Recommendations ......................... 91 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................ 92 TV Chapter 1 THE ORIGINS OF CHICANO LITERATURE There are two basic theories concerning the origin of Chicano literature. The first maintains that, although the Chicano movement of the mid-1960s provided this literature with an identifiable classification for the first time, its actual origins began with the Mexican-American confrontation of the mid-1880s. A glance through any number of bibliographies supports this theory.1 The second theory, supported by Edward Simmon, author of The Chicanos: From Caricature to Self-portrait3 maintained that Mexican- American literature did not come into existence until 1947. Simmon developed a social theory which asserted that the structure of Chicano society did not permit the emergence of Chicano writing to that date: the rich were not interested in writing, the poor were not trained for it, and the middle class was not inclined. It is Simmon's theory that the Chicano is an American of Mexican descent and an individual of radical ideas in regard to the social and economic order whose actions are often violent. He concluded that the social and economic movement, el movimiento3 explains the recent.origin of Chicano literature.2 1Francisco A. Lomcli and Donald W. Uriostc, Chicano Perspec tives in Literature: A Critical and Annotated Bibliography. Albu querque: Pajarito Publications, 1976. 2Rolando Hinojosa, "Mexican-American Literature: Toward an Identification," Books Abroad, 49:423, 1975. 1 Luis Davila, Chicano literary critic and founder of Revista Chicano- Riquena, agreed that Chicano literature is of recent origin, but he also stated that there is a long literary tradition behind what is being produced today.3 In his doctoral dissertation, Philip D. Ortego said that The Chicano Renaissance would not appear until the 1960s, actuated by a socio-political revolution that would grip the creative impulse of la raza in the United States as it has gripped la raza in Mexico during the first quarter of the 19th century. He also said that Though Mexican-Americans have been writing for over a hundred years, the realization of Mexican-American literature as the elan vital in the life-styles of the people themselves has been a happening of extremely recent origin. We can point with vigor and certainty at the appearance of the literary quarterly El Grito in the Fall of 1967 and identify its publication as the anticipation and theme of a literary outburst which sparked a Chicano Renais sance. 5 Charles M. Tatum has written a cocise documentation of the developments in Chicano literature since 1848.6 He said that prior to 1848 traditional ouentos transmitted orally concerning elements of folk existence were the most popular literary forms of the writers of Mexico's northern frontier. As the southwest and California grew, increasing numbers of creative writers appeared. In 1848 literary activity began to flourish. After the war between the United States 3Ibid., p. 424. ^Philip Darraugh Ortego, "Backgrounds of Mexican-American Literature" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of New Mexico, 1971), p. 39. 5Ibid., p. 213. 6Charles M. Tatum, "Contemporary Chicano Prose Fiction: Its Ties to Mexican Literature," Books Abroad, 49:432-435, 19 75. and Mexico, writers (now Mexican Americans) continued to rely on forms, themes, motifs, and settings which were prevalent in Mexican literature. The cuadro de costumbres3 a literary form depicting local customs and language, was popular in Mexico and was soon adopted by Chicano writers. The cuento made an easy transition to the cuadro