Different When I Opened My Mouth

Abstract

Abstract This article explores experiences, reflections, and perspectives of actual or perceived linguistic discrimination as experienced by four Latina/o and one White foreign-born professors currently working in research universities across the United States. Building on the literature on linguistic discrimination and the theoretical framing of LangCrit, the authors exemplify instances of linguistic discrimination resulting from a member of the majority culture asserting their native speaker power over the foreign-born speaker with an accent. Through examining the participants’ accents, the authors expose the paradoxical simultaneous positions the participants occupy as oppressed-privileged beings. In the discussion and implications, the authors address raising consciousness around linguistic discrimination in an effort to transform the educational landscape and opportunities for historically marginalized communities.