American Flag (2020) by Sawyer SuttonFundación Antonio de Nebrija
United States
Spanning 3,531,905 square miles (9,147,593 km²) and with a population of over 332 million, the United States is the fourth largest country on the planet with the third biggest population after China and India.
United States. Ne.. Administrative divisions. (1796) by Aaron ArrowsmithOriginal Source: National Library of Spain
This country does not have an official language at a federal level. However, at a state level, 32 of the 50 states have made English official. Spanish is only official in the commonwealth state of Puerto Rico; other states translate their legislation into this language.
English dictionary (2020) by PixabayFundación Antonio de Nebrija
English is the dominant language, used by 80.38%. This is followed by Spanish, 12.19%, and Chinese, 0.58%. Over 350 languages coexist in total. These numbers make Hispanics the largest linguistic minority in the United States.
Spanish in the United States
Castilian Spanish was the first European language spoken on these lands. In fact, there was a time when the region now occupied by the United States only spoke native languages and Spanish, with no English spoken at all.
Portrait of Ponce de León (1858)Fundación Antonio de Nebrija
The first person to arrive in today's United States was Juan Ponce de León in 1513. Together with his crew and other groups that came after, they extensively explored what is now Florida and later explored the whole of the south up to the east of the region.
Atlas Encyclopedia (1787) by Rigobert BonneOriginal Source: National Library of Spain
Despite the extent of these expeditions, they did not establish colonies at first. They did not permanently settle themselves until the end of the 17th century, doing it in different stages depending on the location.
Atlas Encyclopedia (1787) by Rigobert BonneOriginal Source: National Library of Spain
These Spanish settlements occasionally clashed with the region's indigenous population, meaning that many people were forced to resettle in other parts of Mexico. The first English colonies arrived in the area in 1607.
Copy of the Mexican Declaration of Independence (1821)Fundación Antonio de Nebrija
After the Mexican territory became independent in 1821, the new government found they had to attract people from the northern territories. Therefore, and with the approval of the Mexican government, they started to establish Anglo-American colonies in the region.
Telegraph and Texas Register (1836) by G.& T.H. BordenFundación Antonio de Nebrija
After many years, and the Mexican-American War in which Mexico lost almost half of its territory, the influence of English dominated a large part of the southeast of the region. In Texas alone in 1836, 9 out of 10 people already spoke English.
Spanish School StudentsFundación Antonio de Nebrija
Despite all this, Spanish did not disappear completely. The language endured in the United States thanks to the Hispanic origins of many of its inhabitants and the new waves of immigration over the last century.
Hispanic culture in the United States today
The Hispanic community in the United States makes up a nation within a nation—a community with its own cultural entity.
Map of United Sates (2021) by Arturo AnezFundación Antonio de Nebrija
The number of Spanish speakers has now surpassed 60 million and is expected to reach 127 million by 2060. Strong demographic growth of the Hispanic community is the direct cause of this expansion, but this is also due to a change in attitude towards the original language.
Steet Art (2021) by Travis RupertFundación Antonio de Nebrija
Spanish is, by far, the language most studied as a foreign language in formal education. However, interest in this language goes far beyond attaining a new language. It is a response to the need to communicate with a large part of the population that does not speak English.
Steet Art (2021) by Ibrahim HafeezFundación Antonio de Nebrija
The Hispanic community in the United States is a conglomerate born from the fusion of Latino cultures established in the country. Their relationship with one another is creating a hybrid Pan-Hispanic entity that is clearly different from those of their original countries.
Steet Art (2021) by NextvoyageFundación Antonio de Nebrija
Similar to what happens with culture, an autochthonous variety of Spanish is being forged, resulting in an amalgamation of its different regional varieties. This gives rise to a new model of Spanish able to accommodate all Hispanic cultures.
Street art (2018) by Arantxa TrevaFundación Antonio de Nebrija
Spanish in the United States
Castilian Spanish was the first European language spoken on these lands. In fact, there was a time when the region now occupied by the United States only spoke native languages and Spanish, with no English spoken at all.
Street Art (2017) by Axel GrollemundFundación Antonio de Nebrija
The first person to arrive in today's United States was Juan Ponce de León in 1513. Together with his crew and other groups that came after, they extensively explored what is now Florida and later explored the whole of the south up to the east of the region.
Article composed using information from the Encyclopedia of the Spanish Language in the United States and an interview with Rosina Lozana, professor of history at Princeton University and specialist in the history of the Spanish language in the United States.
With data from the United States Census Bureau.
Curator: Rodrigo Díaz
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.