"Religion and language maintenance among Arabic-Spanish bilinguals in Puerto Rico" in Sociolinguistic Approaches to Arabic and Spanish in Contact
Document Type
Chapter in a Book
Publication Date
7-17-2025
Abstract
This chapter explores the often-overlooked influence of religious identity on language maintenance and shift in the Arabic-Spanish bilingual community in Puerto Rico. Previous research in Hispanic sociolinguistics, as compared to Arabic sociolinguistics, has rarely focused on religion as a social factor that impacts language use, thus, this study aims to explore the distinct linguistic practices of Muslim and Christian Arabs Puerto Rico and how they tie to perceived language use and maintenance. Based on a group of 15 participants, the data reveals some differences in language maintenance, with Christian Arabs showing greater susceptibility to language loss compared to their Muslim counterparts. The study underscores the impact of religious practices, particularly in biliteracy, while emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between religion, identity, and language maintenance in minority language communities.
ORCID
Farah Ali's ORCID record Recommended Citation
Mohamed, Sherez, et al. “Religion and Language Maintenance among Arabic-Spanish Bilinguals in Puerto Rico.” In Sociolinguistic Approaches to Arabic and Spanish in Contact, Edited by Farah Ali, Carol Ready and Sherez Mohamed, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 17 July 2025, pp. 124–42. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.44.07moh.