Abstract

Shame entangles the linguistic lives of many first and second-generation Latinx Americans. On the one hand, it is easy to find videos and accounts of public acts aimed at shaming Spanish speakers in America. On the other hand, it is also common to hear first-personal accounts of the shame some members of the Latinx American community feel for living an “English-only” existence. I advance an account explaining how one’s linguistic choices can be influenced by acts intending to shame other members of their culture. Further, I analyze the complexities of the shame that results in some of those who decide to live an English-Only existence as a result of the pressures to assimilate into mainstream American culture.