A Critical Mass Model of Bilingualism among U.S.-Born Hispanics

Abstract

The overarching question in this article is: What contextual and individual-level factors influence the decision to maintain Spanish, or see to it that one's children learn and maintain it? I first model the configuration of area-specific circumstances that influence the degree to which Spanish-English bilingualism (as opposed to English monolingualism) is viable or desirable in a particular metro area. When contextual incentives for bilingualism are included in individual-level models, context — especially bilinguals' status and Hispanics' political influence — greatly influences the odds of bilingualism among native-born Hispanic adults. In addition to other macrolevel factors, there is evidence for a critical mass effect. People are more likely to maintain bilingualism when lots of others around them are doing the same thing.