Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Hernandez, Sarah

Area of Concentration

Sociology

Abstract

The following study explores how people who self-identify as LGBTQIA+, bilingual in English and Spanish, and Latino/a/x/e conceptualize and communicate their identities through language. I conducted 7 loosely structured in-depth interviews in Spanglish to investigate how people who identify as LGBTQIA+, bilingual, and Latino/a/x/e talk and make sense of their identities. I found that participants conceptualize and communicate their identities by using a narrative approach to identities, employing code-switching and Spanglish, and by providing alternate meanings to Spanish as well as changing and transforming the Spanish language. This study also explores how oppression and trauma work to impact participants’ identities and self-concept. I end this project by elaborating on where I believe there is room to improve this research as well as the larger implications of this study.

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