Imagining the Nation: Language Ideology and Collective Identity in Contemporary Guatemala
Author(s)
French, Brigittine M.
Abstract
Mayan languages have evolved but have remained constitutive of Indian collective identity. The Spanish Crown’s attempt to infuse Castilian among the natives of New Spain was not realized as the priests sent to accomplish the job were themselves actively involved in learning Mayan language and teaching the Mayas to read and write in their own languages using the Roman alphabet. It was only in 1945 when the Constitution of 1945 declared Spanish as the official language of Guatemala in an attempt to eradicate Mayan languages and assimilate Indians into the national community. This connection between language and peoplehood has endured in the contemporary era.
