French in Louisiana vs Spanish in New Mexico

Language Critic   Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:55 am GMT
How many Louisianians speak French?

Exact numbers are not known. Louisiana has 975,000 residents who are of French, French Canadian, African or other Francophone heritage.

A survey conducted in 1990 by CODOFIL and the University of Southwestern Louisiana shows that 42.1% of the sampled French-speaking population is over the age of 45 and that knowledge and usage of French increase with age.

The survey disclosed that 13.2% of French speakers sampled say they were able to write French, and 34.3% said they could read French, but only 8.5% actually do on a regular basis.

Which French do Louisianians speak? 9% of French speakers speak Creole French, 33% speak Standard French, and 58% speak Cajun French.

Courtesy of CODOFIL

http://www.espacefrancophone.org/evangeline/english/page054.html

Language Legislation in Louisiana

"To date, 22 States – including my home State of Louisiana – have already
declared English their official language."
– Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.)

Louisiana has never declared an "official language" as such. In 1812, it became the first and only state to enter the Union in which a non-English-speaking group commanded a popular majority. Because the dominance of French in Louisiana caused some concerns in Washington, Congress required the state's first constitution to safeguard the rights of English speakers. This provision (later dropped) required that all laws and official documents be published in the language "in which the Constitution of the United States is written" – that is, in English, but not only in English.

Until the Civil War, Louisiana continued to publish documents in French and its legislature continued to operate bilingually as a practical necessity. Numerous officials, including Governor Jacques Villeré (1816-1820), did not speak English. Louisiana's 1845 constitution made these practices a requirement – a recognition of French language rights. An 1847 law authorized bilingual instruction in the state's public schools.

Article XII, § 4 of Louisiana's current (1974) constitution provides:

The right of the people to preserve, foster, and promote their respective historic linguistic and cultural origins is recognized.

This principle is also embodied in Louisiana's Revised Statutes (43:204)*:

When advertisements are required to be made in relation to judicial process, or in the sale of property for undpaid taxes, or under judicial process or any other legal process of whatever kind, they shall be made in the English language and may in addition be duplicated in the French language. State and local officials and public institutions are reconfirmed in the traditional right to publish documents in the French language in addition to English.

*Thanks to the Louisiana State Library for this reference.

Copyright © 1997 by James Crawford. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for free, noncommercial distribution, provided that credit is given and this notice is included.

http://www.languagepolicy.net/archives/can-la.htm


“Spanish language variation and ethnic identity in New Mexico”

New Mexico is a part of the United States that borders on Mexico. A high proportion of the population of the state is Hispanic, estimated at 44.4% in 2007 by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.Most of this Hispanic population claims to be Spanish speaking.

These Spanish speakers represent two major dialects. One dialect is concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the state and derives from early Hispanic settlement in the region beginning in 1598. This variety we label the Traditional Spanish of New Mexico. The other dialect, which we
call the Border Spanish of New Mexico, is represented primarily in the southern third of the state and is more closely aligned historically and linguistically with the Spanish speakers of northern Mexico.

This linguistic division is closely associated with differences in self-identification. For a complex of historical reasons involving social and political matters – particularly concerning the now economically dominant non-Hispanic, non-Indian minority in the state, the “Anglos” – the speakers of Traditional Spanish tend to reject identification with the more recently arriving speakers of Border Spanish. Though both populations typically label themselves as mexicano in Spanish, self-identification in English diverges strongly. Census data, for example, show that Spanish speakers from northern New Mexico prefer to call themselves “Hispanic” or “Spanish”
whereas those from the southern part of the state are likely to prefer “Mexican” or “Mexican American”.

Reference
Bills, Garland D., and Neddy A. Vigil. 2008. The Spanish language of New Mexico and southern
Colorado: A linguistic atlas. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

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TAKE YOUR PICK. WHICH LANGUAGE IS IN BETTER SITUATION?
Language Critic   Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:57 am GMT
How many Louisianians speak French?

Exact numbers are not known. Louisiana has 975,000 residents who are of French, French Canadian, African or other Francophone heritage.

A survey conducted in 1990 by CODOFIL and the University of Southwestern Louisiana shows that 42.1% of the sampled French-speaking population is over the age of 45 and that knowledge and usage of French increase with age.

The survey disclosed that 13.2% of French speakers sampled say they were able to write French, and 34.3% said they could read French, but only 8.5% actually do on a regular basis.

Which French do Louisianians speak? 9% of French speakers speak Creole French, 33% speak Standard French, and 58% speak Cajun French.

Courtesy of CODOFIL

http://www.espacefrancophone.org/evangeline/english/page054.html

Language Legislation in Louisiana

"To date, 22 States – including my home State of Louisiana – have already
declared English their official language."
– Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.)

Louisiana has never declared an "official language" as such. In 1812, it became the first and only state to enter the Union in which a non-English-speaking group commanded a popular majority. Because the dominance of French in Louisiana caused some concerns in Washington, Congress required the state's first constitution to safeguard the rights of English speakers. This provision (later dropped) required that all laws and official documents be published in the language "in which the Constitution of the United States is written" – that is, in English, but not only in English.

Until the Civil War, Louisiana continued to publish documents in French and its legislature continued to operate bilingually as a practical necessity. Numerous officials, including Governor Jacques Villeré (1816-1820), did not speak English. Louisiana's 1845 constitution made these practices a requirement – a recognition of French language rights. An 1847 law authorized bilingual instruction in the state's public schools.

Article XII, § 4 of Louisiana's current (1974) constitution provides:

The right of the people to preserve, foster, and promote their respective historic linguistic and cultural origins is recognized.

This principle is also embodied in Louisiana's Revised Statutes (43:204)*:

When advertisements are required to be made in relation to judicial process, or in the sale of property for undpaid taxes, or under judicial process or any other legal process of whatever kind, they shall be made in the English language and may in addition be duplicated in the French language. State and local officials and public institutions are reconfirmed in the traditional right to publish documents in the French language in addition to English.

*Thanks to the Louisiana State Library for this reference.

Copyright © 1997 by James Crawford. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for free, noncommercial distribution, provided that credit is given and this notice is included.

http://www.languagepolicy.net/archives/can-la.htm


“Spanish language variation and ethnic identity in New Mexico”

New Mexico is a part of the United States that borders on Mexico. A high proportion of the population of the state is Hispanic, estimated at 44.4% in 2007 by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.Most of this Hispanic population claims to be Spanish speaking.

These Spanish speakers represent two major dialects. One dialect is concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the state and derives from early Hispanic settlement in the region beginning in 1598. This variety we label the Traditional Spanish of New Mexico. The other dialect, which we
call the Border Spanish of New Mexico, is represented primarily in the southern third of the state and is more closely aligned historically and linguistically with the Spanish speakers of northern Mexico.

This linguistic division is closely associated with differences in self-identification. For a complex of historical reasons involving social and political matters – particularly concerning the now economically dominant non-Hispanic, non-Indian minority in the state, the “Anglos” – the speakers of Traditional Spanish tend to reject identification with the more recently arriving speakers of Border Spanish. Though both populations typically label themselves as mexicano in Spanish, self-identification in English diverges strongly. Census data, for example, show that Spanish speakers from northern New Mexico prefer to call themselves “Hispanic” or “Spanish”
whereas those from the southern part of the state are likely to prefer “Mexican” or “Mexican American”.

Reference
Bills, Garland D., and Neddy A. Vigil. 2008. The Spanish language of New Mexico and southern
Colorado: A linguistic atlas. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

http://www.york.ac.uk/res/aiseb/bic2010/Vigil.pdf

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TAKE YOUR PICK. WHICH LANGUAGE IS IN BETTER SITUATION?
Ville Platte   Wed Jan 13, 2010 7:02 pm GMT
If it is "any French" vs "any Spanish" then it would be New Mexico. If it is "Cajun French" meaning the variety of Acadian French in South West Louisiana vs "New Mexican Spanish" meaning the traditional colonial Spanish of northern New Mexico- then it is probably Cajun French. Cajun French is far less threatened by Standard French or other dialects than New Mexican Spanish, which has to withstand the duel preassures of growing English preference and Mexican Spanish.
Guest   Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:11 pm GMT
Cajun French is spoken by 0.1% of people in Louisiana whereas Spanish is the mother tongue of 50% of people in New Mexico. There is no comparison possible.
Ville Platte   Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:20 pm GMT
Cajun French is spoken by 5% of Louisiana's population, and closer to 20% of Acadiana, and has benefited from the general Cajun cultural revival and formation of advocacy and revivalist organizations.

Spanish is spoken by 29% of the population of New Mexico, but there is a difference between "Mexican immigrant or School taugh Spanish" and the traditional "Northern New Mexican Spanish".

http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~djenkins/3070/bills1997.pdf

That said, if you mean any Spanish vs any French it is New Mexico.
Wintereis   Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:24 pm GMT
<<Exact numbers are not known. Louisiana has 975,000 residents who are of French, French Canadian, African or other Francophone heritage.>>

Most of the people with African heritage in Louisiana did not speak French when they were brought over from Africa. So, they are really not from a "Francophone heritage" except in that French colonists in Louisiana were their owners. A handful of recent immigrants from Africa may fit this description, but their numbers would be so small as not to contribute significantly to the number of Francophones in the area.
Baldewin   Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:42 pm GMT
There are also actual anglophones who have re-learned Cajun French, but they speak slower French than the real francophones. Still sounds nice in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDNsVTxo4gU
Visitor   Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:12 am GMT
Not all Hispanics in New Mexico which is 38% of the population speak Spanish.

The number of Spanish in New Mexico is dwindling fast. The number of Spanish speakers as it is in the entire US depends on the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico. And even those, they switch to English immediately the moment they stay in thhe US for a year.

That's why they came out with "La Herencia" magazine because Spanish language and culture is declining rapidly there.

La Herencia

La Herencia was voted the City's Official Publication of the Santa Fe 400th Anniversay in 2006 by the Santa Fe City Council.

La Herencia continues in the tradition of the Spanish press in the Southwest that began in Santa Fe in 1834 and, ironically, ended in Santa Fe in 1958. Once again in Santa Fe, La Herencia began publication in 1994.

La Herencia was founded by Santa Fe native, Ana Pacheco, in response to the rapid decline of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture of New Mexico. The quarterly publication provides information on Hispanic culture with articles written by local historians from New Mexico and the Southwest. The editorial consists of oral history, Spanish language and Southwestern literature, book reviews, poetry, recipes, myths and other forms of Spanish and Mexican folklore retold with documentary photographs and illustrations. Current issues and trends are also covered. La Herencia is the only publication of its kind written about Hispanic culture by Hispanics from the Southwest. La Herencia is the publication for Hispanic literary arts in the 21st century.

http://www.santafe400th.com/index.php?page=la-herencia

Cajun French is spoken by 0.1% of people in Louisiana whereas Spanish is the mother tongue of 50% of people in New Mexico. There is no comparison possible.

While in Louisiana,French is spoken by at least more than half of 975,000 residents who are of French, French Canadian, African or other Francophone heritage as their first language and the remaining speak it as secondary speakers.

Besides, CODOFIL is a non-profit institution helped in preserving French in Louisiana. Youn Cajun attend French immersion classes so that they could now speak French with their pépères and mémères who are monolingual in French. These young generation Cajuns vowed to teach French to their children because they still remember "La heure de la honte" when the children of that generation of that time were punished in school premises just because they speak only French and know no English.
Santa Fe   Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:22 am GMT
I say French is in better shape in Louisiana than Spanish in New Mexico because of the success of CODOFIL. Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o5fPYfYBhc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKunYEkHLtY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKijkaTXvcs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjUipfIup5k&feature=related

In addition, there are advertisement on Cajun French being aired in Louisiana like "Microsoft Surface Commerical Cajun French français cadien".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDeVXq3_q8Y

Spanish in New Mexico does not have this kind of privileges.

The Spanish speakers found in New Mexico nowadays are actually Mexican immigrants. Majority of true blooded New Mexicans have become monolingual in English.
+Fr+vs -Sp-   Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:23 am GMT
french speak with Cajun in Louisiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m15pXtI35w&feature=related
Visitor   Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:00 am GMT
Forum des jeunes ambassadeurs de la francophonie des Amériques

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeUQigsg8XM&feature=related

This video includes youngsters from Hispanic community like Mexico and Cajuns whose ancestor is Spanish.
Visitor   Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:25 am GMT
La prof. Carmen Villegas Rogers parle de ses études du français en Colombie, d'où elle vient.

Vive la Louisiane--French studies, Prof. Carmen Rogers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgNITmU0DwA