Client:
Attriters, Mexican immigrants, and Mexican-Americans
Category:
Editorial Design, Illustration
My Role:
Copywriter, Designer and Researcher
Intro
In light of some projects exploring avenues of Mexican culture and heritage, my thesis, When the Mother Tongue Fades, explores first-language attrition in Mexican families. As someone who has experienced language attrition, my thesis explores how Mexican immigrant families and U.S. born reconnect to their cultural heritage despite the loss of the native tongue. Utilizing psycholinguistic theory, semiotics, and the subtractive schooling theory, my thesis research reflects how language is processed in the brain, its use in a culture, and the effects it has on one's mental, emotional, and sociocultural gauge. Inspired by my research and the personal stake, When the Mother Tongue Fades recounts my experience of language attrition and the methods I have done to reconnect to my Mexican heritage, introducing aspects of coloring pages of cultural signifiers alongside the personal tale; uniting narrative design and an activity into community connection and self-reflection.
Senior Thesis Exhibition
Project Process
Research
Psycholinguistics
Psycholinguistics is the psychological and neurobiological study on how humans acquire, produce, comprehend, and use language. This field of study connects to first-language attrition by the brain process of gaining and losing a language through various factors, such examples like environmental and language use. While language has been perceived as a communication and cognitive function, my research also found that language is a vital identifier in cultural identity; it is the main means of passing down history and tradition, of communicating with family and members of the same culture. Taking that away creates trauma to the individual on a mental, emotional, and sociocultural level. Additionally, my research has discovered that language attrition affects everyone differently, and no case is similar to the other. This shows the complexity of the topic, yet reveals a unique perspective of people afflicted being different from one another.
Semiotics
The study of signs, symbols, and their interpretations, semiotics in the research shows how cultural icons and symbols of Mexican culture are essential to its national identity. Symbols like the Mexican flag and the Virgin of Guadalupe have historical ties to the country's Indigenous past and Spanish assimilation; the blending of the two cultures creating a unique identity of resilience, and something Mexico can call its own.
Subtractive Schooling
A book and theory by Angela Valenzuela, subtractive schooling argues how the U.S. educational system is purposely divesting Mexican immigrant students and Mexican-American students of their native language and culture, prioritizing assimilation into a more American culture rather than education that focuses on their identity. Valenzuela mentions two methods that this is achieved: the first being "de-Mexicanization", treating their culture as liabilities than essential, pressuring Mexican students into adopting Anglo culture. The second method is creating an "uncaring" environment, where schools create superficial care of the students culture rather than authentic care; this ties into the school faculty hammering that classes are more important than representation.
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