Mexican American English in Context: Accommodation to Other Available Norms in Lower Michigan

Authors

  • Jaclyn Ocumpaugh Michigan State University
  • Rebecca Roeder UNC Charlotte

Abstract

Recent studies have examined the effects of regional varieties on the English of
Mexican Americans outside the Southwest (Hartford 1978; Frazer 1996; Gordon
2000; Wolfram, Carter, and Moriello 2004; Roeder 2006). The present study is an examination of the vowel systems of Mexican Americans in two communities in Lower Michigan - the Lansing area, where the Northern Cities Shift (NCS) is a
feature of the predominant local dialect, and Berrien County in southwest Michigan,
which has not shown extensive NCS influence. The findings reveal a kiteshaped
pattern in the lower vowels of the Lansing speakers, which is attributable
to a new variety of Mexican American English influenced strongly by tbe NCS.
The degree of accommodation to this pattern by Mexican Americans in Berrien
County - where the Mexican American community is less well established - correlates with their length of residence in the area.

Author Biographies

Jaclyn Ocumpaugh, Michigan State University

Postdoctoral Research AssociateTeachers College, Columbia University

Rebecca Roeder, UNC Charlotte

Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Department of English, UNC Charlotte

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Published

2007-09-26

How to Cite

Ocumpaugh, J., & Roeder, R. (2007). Mexican American English in Context: Accommodation to Other Available Norms in Lower Michigan. Linguistica Atlantica, 27, 71–75. Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/la/article/view/22623

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Articles