Interview no. 713

Biographical information; coming to the U.S. from Mexico in 1959 and early experiences here; experiences in the Army, including Vietnam; experiences as a student at UTEP, including student concerns, anti-war sentiment and the takeover of the Administration Building by MECHA and its results; outstanding professors; changes in the universit

German-Spanish bilingualism in two mennonite communities in Mexico

This study was conducted to determine the level and degree of stability of bilingualism (German-Spanish) in two German communities in Chihuahua, México. The cornmunity of Colonia Capulín was selected because it was representative of the most fundamental and conservative Mennonite groups. A former Mennonite group in Colonia Swift Current was selected to provide a contrast because it was undergoing a significant degree of a cculturation and modernization.A household survey, interviews, and sustained observation yielded the salient sociolinguistic characteristics of selected societal domains in both communities. Only the obvious language use and preference pattems that emerged from the survey were included as preliminary findings. It was concluded that the fundamental community in Colonia Capulín had stable bilingualism, while the group in Colonia Swift Current was best characterized by transitional bilingualism