Ethnic Self-Identification and Linguistic Contact Phenomena in the Southeast: "...Me Gusta Mucho El Spanglish, Yo Siento Que Me Puedo Expresar Más...".

The present study investigates the connection between ethnic self-identification (ESI), language choice, and code-switching (CS) among bilinguals of Mexican descent residing in North Carolina. Via the analysis of eight sociolinguistic interviews, results suggest that the majority of the participants, despite being born in the U.S., preferred to identify as Mexicanos a finding that is contrary to individuals residing in other, more well-established bilingual communities throughout the country (Dowling, 2005; Fuligni et al., 2008; Geerlings et al., 2015). Regarding language choice, while all speakers valued Spanish and English as vital components of their linguistic repertoire, those who did not identify as Mexicanos spoke more English during the interviews. Most participants engaged in CS, but no clear connection between the sub-type of CS and specific ESI was found. In conjunction, this study offers important insight into questions of ESI and language preferences in the newly forming communities of the Southeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]