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New Lang Professor Brings Expertise in Anthro-Political Linguistics

New Lang Professor Brings
Expertise in Anthro-Political Linguistics

by Alisa Giardinelli
4/13/2009

Ana Celia Zentella

Ana Celia Zentella

Ana Celia Zentella, professor emerita in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at San Diego, will join the faculty this fall as the Eugene M. Lang Visiting Professor for Issues of Social Change for 2009-10. Celia Zentella, whose courses will include "Language, Race, and Identities in the U.S." this fall, is also a recognized leader in building appreciation for language diversity and respect for language rights.

"The word 'political' in anthro-political linguistics calls attention to the fact that there is no language without politics," Celia Zentella says. "Language is never separate from the social and political reality in which it is produced. Communities that are adversely affected by unjust policies deserve research that unmasks the injustices and researchers should be able explain the issues to the public in ways that promote corrective measures."

Celia Zentella earned a B.A. from Hunter College, an M.A. from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to UC-San Diego, she served in a number of capacities at the City University of New York. She is the author of the award-winning Growing Up Bilingual: Puerto Rican Children in New York (1997) and the editor of Building on Strength: Language and Strength in Latina Families, Schools, and Communities (2005) and Multilingual San Diego: Portraits of Language Loss and Revitalization (2009).