Mock Spanish
Encyclopedia
Mock Spanish is a term sometimes used to describe a variety of usages common in some otherwise monolingual Anglo-American circles. The term has been popularized by anthropologist-linguist Jane H. Hill
of the University of Arizona
, most recognizably in relation to the catchphrase, "Hasta la vista, baby", from the film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
. Hill argues that the incorporation of pseudo-Spanish
terms like "hasty banana" (for hasta mañana), "buenos nachos" (for buenas noches), "el cheapo", "no problemo
", "hasta la bye-bye", and other humorous uses constitute a type of covert racism
.
Hill found that Mock Spanish was especially prevalent "among middle- and upper-income, college-educated whites". She discovered that many of those who make use of Mock Spanish in their casual speech consider it harmless or even flattering, while native Spanish speakers are likely to find it insulting. She presented an argument that Mock Spanish depends on the covert indexing of negative stereotypes of Spanish speakers, and that it can only be accurately interpreted if negative stereotypes about Hispanophones can be accessed.
In José, can you see?, Ana Celia Zentella describes mock Spanish as one half of a double-standard in which Hispanics
are expected to conform to the linguistic norms of English
while Anglo-Americans are free to ignore all grammatical aspects of the Spanish language they are borrowing from. According to Zentella, "Latin@s are visibly constrained by rigid norms of linguistic purity, but white linguistic disorder goes unchallenged; in fact, white linguistic disorder is essential to a congenial persona, and passes as multicultural 'with-it-ness.'"
Hill contrasts mock Spanish with two other registers of "Anglo Spanish" that she refers to as "Nouvelle Spanish" (largely used to provide a Spanish flavor for marketing purposes, e.g. "the land of mañana" used to describe the Southwest, or "Hair Casa" as the name of a beauty salon) and "Cowboy Spanish" (loanword
s for region-specific objects and concepts, such as coyote, mesa, and tamale).
Jane H. Hill
Jane Hassler Hill is an American anthropologist and linguist who has worked extensively with Native American languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. She received her Ph.D. from UCLA in 1966...
of the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, most recognizably in relation to the catchphrase, "Hasta la vista, baby", from the film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
. Hill argues that the incorporation of pseudo-Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
terms like "hasty banana" (for hasta mañana), "buenos nachos" (for buenas noches), "el cheapo", "no problemo
No problemo
"No problemo" is a slang expression used in North American English to indicate that a given situation does not pose a problem. It has roughly the same meaning as the expression "no problem," but is rarely heard as a response to "I'm sorry."...
", "hasta la bye-bye", and other humorous uses constitute a type of covert racism
Covert racism
Covert racism is a much less public and obvious form of racism or overt racism. It is hidden in the fabric of society, covertly suppressing the individuals being discriminated against. Covert racially biased decisions are often disguised or rationalized with an explanation that society is more...
.
Hill found that Mock Spanish was especially prevalent "among middle- and upper-income, college-educated whites". She discovered that many of those who make use of Mock Spanish in their casual speech consider it harmless or even flattering, while native Spanish speakers are likely to find it insulting. She presented an argument that Mock Spanish depends on the covert indexing of negative stereotypes of Spanish speakers, and that it can only be accurately interpreted if negative stereotypes about Hispanophones can be accessed.
In José, can you see?, Ana Celia Zentella describes mock Spanish as one half of a double-standard in which Hispanics
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
are expected to conform to the linguistic norms of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
while Anglo-Americans are free to ignore all grammatical aspects of the Spanish language they are borrowing from. According to Zentella, "Latin@s are visibly constrained by rigid norms of linguistic purity, but white linguistic disorder goes unchallenged; in fact, white linguistic disorder is essential to a congenial persona, and passes as multicultural 'with-it-ness.'"
Hill contrasts mock Spanish with two other registers of "Anglo Spanish" that she refers to as "Nouvelle Spanish" (largely used to provide a Spanish flavor for marketing purposes, e.g. "the land of mañana" used to describe the Southwest, or "Hair Casa" as the name of a beauty salon) and "Cowboy Spanish" (loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s for region-specific objects and concepts, such as coyote, mesa, and tamale).