Language Diversity in the USA


Book Description

What are the most widely spoken non-English languages in the USA? How did they reach the USA? Who speaks them, to whom, and for what purposes? What changes do these languages undergo as they come into contact with English? This book investigates the linguistic diversity of the USA by profiling the twelve most commonly used languages other than English. Each chapter paints a portrait of the history, current demographics, community characteristics, economic status, and language maintenance of each language group, and looks ahead to the future of each language. The book challenges myths about the 'official' language of the USA, explores the degree to which today's immigrants are learning English and assimilating into the mainstream, and discusses the relationship between linguistic diversity and national unity. Written in a coherent and structured style, Language Diversity in the USA is essential reading for advanced students and researchers in sociolinguistics, bilingualism, and education.




Thanks America: an Immigrant's Journey


Book Description

From a poor childhood in a remote place, a 14-year-old boy comes to America. There, he finds opportunities he never had in his native country. With support from family and friends in California's Portuguese community he takes advantage of those opportunities. Using his steadfast determination, hard work, and perseverance in the new land, he grows up to became tall, rich, and well-travelled. He, like many other immigrants, epitomizes the American dream.







Community, Culture and the Makings of Identity


Book Description

Offers insight into the histories, cultures, and social dynamics of Portuguese and other Lusophone and Luso-African of the northeastern seaboard of the U.S.




Highly skilled immigrants in Portugal: analysing policy developments and its impacts with a typology


Book Description

The literature has identified several explanatory typologies of highly skilled migration. Although those typologies tend to oversimplify reality they are useful for discussing policy implications and integration needs that different highly qualified migrant groups might have. This article analyses a typology of three different groups of highly skilled immigrants in Portugal: (1) highly skilled immigrants at entrance; (2) immigrants acknowledged as highly skilled after a process of recognition of qualifications or after achieving a higher education in the Portuguese education system; and (3) potential highly skilled immigrants. The characterization of these three groups allow to debate how the Portuguese opportunity structure – social, economic, legal and institutional frameworks – interfere not only in the effective integration of highly skilled immigrants in the country, but also on the attractiveness of the country for hosting those immigrants. The article analyses both the impacts of the Portuguese immigration acts (with a special visa for highly skilled immigrants since 2007 and transposition of the Blue Card Directive after 2012) and the results of measures and programmes that have been developed by public and private institutions targeting these immigrants.










The Housing and Economic Experiences of Immigrants in U.S. and Canadian Cities


Book Description

The Housing and Economic Experiences of Immigrants in U.S. and Canadian Cities is a collection of essays examining how recent immigrants have fared in getting access to jobs and housing in urban centres across the continent.




Portuguese Immigrants


Book Description




New and Old Routes of Portuguese Emigration


Book Description

This open access book offers a comparative overview on Portuguese emigration in Europe and outside the EU in times of recession. It looks at Portuguese emigrants who, after the crisis of 2008, moved both intra-EU, such as UK, France, Switzerland, Germany and Spain, but also into countries with historical links, such as the USA and Canada, and to Portuguese speaking countries such as Brazil, Angola and Mozambique, as well as the processes of return. In addition to the dynamics of movement, the book provides an in-depth analysis of the heterogeneity of this emigration. It deepens the multifaceted identities concerning social and professional pathways among highly skilled and less skilled emigrants. The labour market continues to be the main regulatory force of Portuguese emigration, which helps to explain the outflow and the processes of settlement and return. Nonetheless, this book demonstrates that non-economic factors have likewise been of great importance in the decision to emigrate. As such this book will be a valuable read to policy makers, students and scholars in migration.