We. Lambert et Dm. Taylor, LANGUAGE IN THE LIVES OF ETHNIC-MINORITIES - CUBAN AMERICAN FAMILIES IN MIAMI, Applied linguistics, 17(4), 1996, pp. 477-500
Working-class and middle-class mothers of Cuban heritage were question
ed about their modes of accommodation to America in terms of language
proficiencies. Specifically, they were asked about their own language
fluency, in both Spanish and English, and that of their children. The
focus was on the within-family dynamics of the accommodation process,
and the links between mothers' and children's language fluencies and c
hildren's school performance. Two distinct patterns emerged. For worki
ng-class mothers, the emphasis was more on encouraging their children
to learn English in order to 'succeed' in America, especially in schoo
l-a 'subtractive' form of bilingualism and biculturalism where advance
s in English appear to be at the expense of Spanish fluency and herita
ge culture maintenance. In contrast, for middle-class mothers, success
was associated more with the encouragement of Spanish competence, not
English-a form of 'additive' bilingualism where the heritage language
and culture are protected as the process of Americanization runs its
course.