Ortiz Guzmán, Lisa

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¿Es inglés la clave?: Life histories of first-generation-college-student return migrants and their perceptions of English as key to college and professional success
(2012) Ortiz Guzmán, Lisa; Mazak, Catherine M.; College of Arts and Sciences - Arts; Rivera Rodríguez, Rosita L.; Carroll, Kevin S.; Department of English; Canabal, María Y.
This research project explored how English and Spanish shaped the life experiences of first-generation college students who migrated between the United States and Puerto Rico. It focused on the consequences of transnational mobility for the identities of two women and two men and how their education in and out of Puerto Rico influenced emerging ideas about Puerto Rican identities, languages, and success. This work was guided by a life history methodology in order to understand the connections between personal and public concerns seeking to delve deeper into how language played an integral role in participants’ college experiences. Using a Bourdieuian framework focused on different forms of capital, this study found that much more than proficiency in one language is needed in order to achieve academic and professional success on the island. This contests the common discourse that English is key to success and illustrates that low-income English speakers do not necessarily have the adequate capital needed in a university context.