Regional Variability and Ethnic Identity: Chinese Americans in New York City and San Francisco

Amy Wing-mei Wong; Lauren Hall-Lew

doi:10.1016/j.langcom.2013.11.003

Regional Variability and Ethnic Identity: Chinese Americans in New York City and San Francisco

Amy Wing-mei Wong, Lauren Hall-Lew

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This paper examines the realizations of the BOUGHT vowel (in words like ‘taught’ and ‘sauce’) by Chinese Americans of Cantonese heritage in New York City and San Francisco. Quantitative analyses find that Chinese Americans in the two cities pronounce BOUGHT in ways that are more similar to their respective regional patterns than to one another. We argue that the quantitative results should be interpreted by considering the complex semiotic links this variable has with respect to non-Asian ethnicities and by considering speakers’ negotiations of their local and cultural identities amidst different (and changing) sociohistorical contexts. We propose that regional features can index not just regional identity but also its intersection with ethnicity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	27-42
Journal	Language and Communication
Volume	35
Early online date	2 Jan 2014
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2013.11.003
Publication status	Published - Mar 2014

Access to Document

10.1016/j.langcom.2013.11.003

Regional variability and ethnic identity
© Wong, A. W., & Hall-Lew, L. (2013). Regional Variability and Ethnic Identity: Chinese Americans in San Francisco and New York City. In Yaeger-Dror, M., & Hall-Lew, L. (Eds.), Language and Communication.
Accepted author manuscript, 1.24 MB

2 Paper
2 Article
1 Chapter
1 Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Between California and the Pacific Northwest: The front lax vowels in San Francisco english
Cardoso, A., Hall-Lew, L., Kementchedjhieva, Y. & Purse, R., 10 Jan 2017, In: American Speech: A Quarterly of Linguistic Usage. 91, Supplement (101)1, p. 33-54
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
An Evaluation of Sociolinguistic Elicitation Methods
Boyd, Z., Elliott, Z., Fruehwald, J., Hall-Lew, L. & Lawrence, D., 2015. 5 p.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

Open Access
File
San Francisco English and the California Vowel Shift
Hall-Lew, L., Cardoso, A., Kemenchedjieva, Y., Wilson, K., Purse, R. & Saigusa, J., 2015. 5 p.
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

Open Access
File

2 Invited talk

When does a (sound) change stop progressing?
Lauren Hall-Lew (Speaker)
3 Nov 2017
Activity: Academic talk or presentation types › Invited talk
The Sociophonetics of Ethnicity
Lauren Hall-Lew (Speaker)
10 May 2017
Activity: Academic talk or presentation types › Invited talk

Lauren Hall-Lew
- Lauren.Hall-Lewed.acuk
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences - Personal Chair of Sociolinguistics
Person: Academic: Research Active

Cite this

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title = "Regional Variability and Ethnic Identity: Chinese Americans in New York City and San Francisco",

abstract = "This paper examines the realizations of the BOUGHT vowel (in words like {\textquoteleft}taught{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}sauce{\textquoteright}) by Chinese Americans of Cantonese heritage in New York City and San Francisco. Quantitative analyses find that Chinese Americans in the two cities pronounce BOUGHT in ways that are more similar to their respective regional patterns than to one another. We argue that the quantitative results should be interpreted by considering the complex semiotic links this variable has with respect to non-Asian ethnicities and by considering speakers{\textquoteright} negotiations of their local and cultural identities amidst different (and changing) sociohistorical contexts. We propose that regional features can index not just regional identity but also its intersection with ethnicity.",

author = "Wong, {Amy Wing-mei} and Lauren Hall-Lew",

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T1 - Regional Variability and Ethnic Identity

T2 - Chinese Americans in New York City and San Francisco

AU - Wong, Amy Wing-mei

AU - Hall-Lew, Lauren

PY - 2014/3

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N2 - This paper examines the realizations of the BOUGHT vowel (in words like ‘taught’ and ‘sauce’) by Chinese Americans of Cantonese heritage in New York City and San Francisco. Quantitative analyses find that Chinese Americans in the two cities pronounce BOUGHT in ways that are more similar to their respective regional patterns than to one another. We argue that the quantitative results should be interpreted by considering the complex semiotic links this variable has with respect to non-Asian ethnicities and by considering speakers’ negotiations of their local and cultural identities amidst different (and changing) sociohistorical contexts. We propose that regional features can index not just regional identity but also its intersection with ethnicity.

AB - This paper examines the realizations of the BOUGHT vowel (in words like ‘taught’ and ‘sauce’) by Chinese Americans of Cantonese heritage in New York City and San Francisco. Quantitative analyses find that Chinese Americans in the two cities pronounce BOUGHT in ways that are more similar to their respective regional patterns than to one another. We argue that the quantitative results should be interpreted by considering the complex semiotic links this variable has with respect to non-Asian ethnicities and by considering speakers’ negotiations of their local and cultural identities amidst different (and changing) sociohistorical contexts. We propose that regional features can index not just regional identity but also its intersection with ethnicity.

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SP - 27

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JO - Language and Communication

JF - Language and Communication

ER -

Regional Variability and Ethnic Identity: Chinese Americans in New York City and San Francisco

Abstract

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Research output

Between California and the Pacific Northwest: The front lax vowels in San Francisco english

An Evaluation of Sociolinguistic Elicitation Methods

San Francisco English and the California Vowel Shift

Activities

When does a (sound) change stop progressing?

The Sociophonetics of Ethnicity

Profiles

Lauren Hall-Lew

Cite this