Christian Ruvalcaba's Abstracts

Lay Abstract

Language Capital Project: Methodologies and Applications
Since June 2015, our project has mapped out places in Tucson (e.g. businesses, cultural
centers, spiritual centers etc.) where people who speak foreign languages work, volunteer, or
gather (The LCP –Tucson AZ 2015). We collect information the languages and services one can
find at each place. The information is put on an online map for Tucson’s newly arrived
immigrants, refugees, international students, or anyone looking for speakers of a particular
language in the Tucson area. Places were foreign languages are commonly spoken are usually
where immigrants and refugees can connect with other individuals with similar backgrounds,
interest, concerns and in similar situations (About 2015). Helping new arrivals to people with a
similar culture and language helps these minority communities grows. It also helps new arrivals
adapt and settle in their new surroundings (Garcia 2005). People can find contacts, imported
goods, employment opportunities, and they also get access to in formation other immigrants and
refugees regarding transportation, cultural events, legal resources, and more. One way in which
this contributes to academic fields is that this map can be a resource for language students and
teachers (Holden and Sykes 2011), linguistic research of public signage (Serwe 2014), immigrant
business research (N. Ross of the City of Tucson’s Economic Initiatives Office, P.C., February
18, 2016), and more. Since beginning this project, similar and independent projects have
sprouted up in Berlin and New Haven. This presentation will discuss the goals, applications and
process for finding information for the Tucson map. This includes finding informants who are
familiar with foreign language communities in Tucson, inperson
visits to locations of interest,
searching for information online, contacting businesses or cultural centers via telephone,
Facebook, or email and inquiring about the linguistic wealth in that particular location.

Full Abstract

Language Capital Project: Methodologies and Applications
Since June 2015, The Language Capital Project has been mapping out all nonresidential
locations in Tucson (e.g. businesses, cultural centers, spiritual centers etc.) where native speakers
of languages other than English work, volunteer, or gather (The LCP –Tucson AZ 2015). It
collects and maps information about each location’s languages and service. The map serves as a
resource for Tucson’s newly arrived immigrants, refugees, international students, or anyone
looking for speakers of a particular language in the Tucson area. Places where nonnational
languages are commonly spoken are often informal cultural centers where immigrants and
refugees can find networks of others of similar backgrounds, interest, concerns and situations
(About 2015). Allowing new arrivals to find their cultural and linguistic communities in turn
strengthens the community and aids the resettlement of newcomers (Garcia 2005). Specifically,
they can find contacts, imported goods, employment opportunities, and they also get access to
in formation from more established immigrants and refugees regarding transportation, cultural
events, legal resources, and more. Another potential application of such a resource would for
language learning and teaching (Holden and Sykes 2011), linguistic landscape research (Serwe
2014), immigrant business research (N. Ross of the City of Tucson’s Economic Initiatives
Office, P.C., February 18, 2016), and more. Since beginning this project, similar and
independent projects have sprouted up in Berlin and New Haven. This presentation will discuss
the goals, applications and the data collection methods for the Tucson map, such as finding
informants who are familiar with local minority language communities, inperson
visits to
locations of interest, searching for information online, contacting businesses or cultural centers
via telephone, Facebook, or email and inquiring about the linguistic wealth in that particular
location.