Example: I have found a
clear example in which CS- as a structural strategy for indexing multiple
identities as well as alternity are used. The song is entitled “AMERICANO” and it was written and sung by
Lady Gaga; in the song she uses both of the CS to express her disagreement with
US laws which have been used against immigrants
and same-sex marriage, the song combines mariachi, house and techno genres with
elements from latin music. In an interview Lady Gaga revealed: “The immigration
law was passed in Arizona, houses were being raided for immigrants, some of
whom had been here for 20 years. America was once the land of the free, and now
[they're] telling everyone to get the fuck out.”She continued by saying,
"I don’t stand by many of those unjust immigration laws in my
country." Besides, she uses social networks to say that this song is her
“American Dream”
Examples of CS used in
the lyric of the song:
insertion
“I met a girl in east L.A.
In floral shorts as sweet as May
She sang in 8 in two barrio chords
We fell in love, but not in court”
alternation
“Mis canciones son de la re-revolución
Mi corazón me duele por mi generación
If you love me we can marry on the west coast
On a Wednesday en el verano en agosto”
Link to read and listen the song:
https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tvzpyzjuoa3wzumviffzpbtgllq?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics
Example: What
do you want, you fucking hijo de puta,
motherfucker? (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, 2017)
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0KyaCMnzWo
(Minute 0:38)
Context:
In this movie, called The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Salma Hayek plays an incarcerated Mexican-American woman, Sonia, who is married to Samuel L. Jackson’s character. She’s talking to him for the very first time after a long time, and she’s angry at him because she’s in prison because of something he did.
In this movie, called The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Salma Hayek plays an incarcerated Mexican-American woman, Sonia, who is married to Samuel L. Jackson’s character. She’s talking to him for the very first time after a long time, and she’s angry at him because she’s in prison because of something he did.
Analysis:
In
my opinion, this is a perfect example of the use of code-switching in order to
index multiple border identities. In the case of Sonia, she says the same
insult in both languages, Spanish and English. For me, this choice of words
represents the fact that Sonia probably doesn’t
feel either 100 % Mexican or 100 % American, as Verdecchia’s case. This is substantiated by
the fact that the word she chooses to translate is an insult, which carries a
very strong emotional meaning, and therefore shows the feeling of being torn
apart between two different countries and cultures.
Example:
in the TV show “American Crime”
people from different countries, for instance Mexico, are being accused of a
murder. Although they all have obtained the American citizenship, they tend to
communicate between each other using code switching. In this case, one of the
man who is being accused (Hector Tontz, interpreted by Richard Cabral, who grew
up in a Mexican-American family) has a conversation with his girlfriend and it
starts like this:
-“¡Hector
pinche mentiroso, te chingaste otra vez!”
-”¿Vienes
todo este camino para chingarme? No tengo que hablar contigo, puedo ir a mi
cuarto, está tranquilo ahí, sin mujeres chingando. Why do you even come?”
I
think that this is a good example of CS for indexing multiple border identities
taking into account that they use Mexican regionalism as well as English.
“Chingar” is like saying ruin and “pinche” is a despicable person. As in real
life, the character has a hyphenated identity and he cannot choose only one
side of the border, he chooses both.
Link
to the video:
To represent this type of code-switching, I
chose the song Claro Que Se Puede! Yes, We Can! by
Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana, which talks about the search for freedom and
the struggle for justice and rights for those who want to live in a land where
they were not born. When using both languages, it represents that the author
has a feeling of belonging to both countries, since both are part of his life.
“Your life is an example that makes me feel
brave, se puede, se puede, we know we can do it, and we will do it with faith and
with love”
The fact of using his mother tongue to say “se puede, se
puede”, can be understood as
a resource for the real message to be captured by the Latin-speaking audience,
it is known that the words spoken in the mother tongue are more perceived by
our sensitivity. As Mandela said “if you talk to a man in a language he understands that
goes to his head”.
Link to the video:
I found a song which denotes code
switching, it is called: `We are one (ole ola)” by Pitbull. This song has been
written for the World Cup Brazil. I chose this song because it mixes three
languages. As matrix language the singer used English, but he also used Spanish
and Portuguese as embedding languages, with the purpose of making us feel
identified. The song is as follows:
Put your flags up in the sky
-Put them in the sky-
-Joga ela pro alto-
And wave them side to side
-Side to side-
-Lado a lado-
Show the world where you're from
-Show them where you're from-
-We'are one baby-
Show the world we are one
-one, love, life-
Ole ole ole ola...
When the going gets tough, the tough
get going
One love, one life, one world
One fight, whole world, one night
One place: Brazil
Everybody put your flags in the sky
And do what you feel
It's your world, my world, our world
today
And we invite the whole world, whole
world to play
It's your world, my world, our world
today
And we invite the whole world, whole
world to play
Es mi mundo, tu mundo, el mundo de
nosotros
Invitamos a todo el mundo a jugar
con nosotros
Put your flags up in the sky
-Put them in the sky-
-Joga ela pro alto-
And wave them side to side
-Side to side-
-Lado a lado-
Show the world where you're from
-Show them where you're from-
-We'are one baby-
Show the world we are one
-one, love, life-
Ole ole ole ola...
Jenny, dale...
One night to watch the world unite
Two sides, one fight and a million
eyes
Full heart is going to work so hard
Shoot, fall, the stars
Fists raised up towards the sky
Tonight watch the world unite
World unite, world unite for the
fight
Fight, fight, what a night!
Watch the world unite
Two sides, one fight and a million
eyes
Hey, forza forza come and sing with me
Hey, alé alé come shout it out with me
Hey, come on now
Hey, come on now, hey
Put your flags up in the sky
-Put them in the sky-
-Joga ela pro alto-
And wave them side to side
-Side to side-
-Lado a lado-
Show the world where you're from
-Show them where you're from-
-We'are one baby-
Show the world we are one
-one, love, life-
Ole ole ole ola...
Claudia Leitte, obrigado...
É meu, é seu, hoje é tudo nosso
Quando chega o mundo inteiro pra jogar
É pra mostrar que eu posso
Torcer, chorar, sorrir, gritar
Não importar o resultado, vamos extravasar
Put your flags up in the sky
-Put them in the sky-
-Joga ela pro alto-
And wave them side to side
-Side to side-
-Lado a lado-
Show the world where you're from
-Show them where you're from-
-We'are one baby-
Show the world we are one
-one, love, life-
Ole ole ole ola...
In this case, the author of this song decided to use English as matrix, with the purpose of that the whole world can understand it. And, to be more specific and expressive, he used some local languages (Spanish and Portuguese). For instance, when he used the words `ole ole ole ola´ he makes reference to Argentina, being that we express like that at football games. Instead, in Brazil they use alé alé.
In this case, the author of this song decided to use English as matrix, with the purpose of that the whole world can understand it. And, to be more specific and expressive, he used some local languages (Spanish and Portuguese). For instance, when he used the words `ole ole ole ola´ he makes reference to Argentina, being that we express like that at football games. Instead, in Brazil they use alé alé.
Example: a clear example of
code-switching as a structural strategy for indexing multiple border identities
is the song “Frijolero” by Molotov. This band of Mexico reflects in this song
the tense relationship between the United States and Mexico. Furthermore, the
song talks about drug trafficking.
“Frijolero” is a mocking copy of “beaner” a term used in the United
States to refer to Mexicans in a derogatory way, while “gringo” is used by Mexicans to talk about Americans.
“Don't call me gringo,
You fuckin beaner
stay on your side
of that goddamn river
don't call me gringo,
You beaner.”
“No me digas beaner,
Mr. Puñetero
Te sacaré un susto
por racista y culero.
No me llames frijolero,
Pinche gringo puñetero.”
Link to the lyric and song:
I have chosen the song entitled “Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)” by The Hamilton Mixtape and Calle 13. In the song the singers use the code-switching to express their struggle with US laws. It represents the immigrants’ voices and feelings against a system of unjust laws.
Here there are some of the examples
of code-switching used in the lyric of the song:
“Ya se armo, ya se despertaron
It’s a whole awakening
la alarma ya sonó hace rato
los que quieren buscan
pero nos apodan como vagos
we are the same ones
hustling on every level
ten los datos
walk a mile in our shoes
abrochense los zapatos.”
“I been scoping ya dudes, ya’ll
ain’t been working like I do
I’ll outwork you, It hurts you
you claim I’m stealing jobs though
Peter Piper claimed he picked them,
he just underpaid Pablo
but there ain’t a paper trail when
you living in the shadows
we’re America’s ghost writers, the
credit’s only borrowed
It’s a matter of time before the
checks all come , but”
“Immigrants, we get the job done
look how far I come (...)”
“Por tierra o por agua identidad
falsa
brincamos muros o flotamos en balsas
la peleamos como sandino en
Nicaragua
somos como las plantas que crecen
sin agua
sin pasaporte americano, porque la
mitad
de gringolandia es terreno mexicano
hay que ser bien hijo e puta
nosotros les sembramos
el árbol y ellos se comen la fruta”
“Cómo es que dice el coro cabrón,
Immigrants, we get the job done
look how far I come (...)”
Link to the lyric and song:
Example: Lana del Rey, in her song
“West coast” uses insertion and alternation to describe the romance between the
singer and a Cuban boy. Besides the lyrics describes how Cuban people is seen
by American, as ostentatious people proud of their jewellery and cars. The
title of the song refers to the geographical position of Cuba in the West of
American coasts. Furthermore, “West Coast” tell us about the both sides of the
reality of Cuban people highly related to women and money as well as poverty
and discontent.
Insertion:” Yo soy la princesa,
comprende mis white lines”
Alternation:
“Cubano como yo, my love”
I found multiple examples of CS in
Shakira´s songs. On the one hand, in the song “Hips don´t lie”,
Shakira alternates
many times the code between Spanish and English:
“I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man wants to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si)
Bonita (si)
Mi casa (Shakira Shakira), su casa”
According to Maver, who states that “...the exotic ethnic
Other which, according to some
critics, emerges when the marginalized minority ethnic writers emphasize
their exoticism to create a certain ethnic stereotype…”; Shakira wants to show a stereotype of the minority that she represents: the Latin American community living in the USA.
critics, emerges when the marginalized minority ethnic writers emphasize
their exoticism to create a certain ethnic stereotype…”; Shakira wants to show a stereotype of the minority that she represents: the Latin American community living in the USA.
On the other hand, she switches between Arabic and
Spanish in her song “Ojos así”:
“Rabboussamai fikarrajaii
Fi ainaiha aralhayati
Ati ilaika min haza lkaaouni
Arjouka labbi labbi nidai
Viaje de Bahrein hasta Beirut
Fui desde el Norte hasta el polo sur
Y no encontré ojos así
Como los que tienes tú”
Both of them are examples of alternation.
There are several songs that exemlify this type of CS. One of the examples I decided to show is the song "Estamos cada vez mas Yankis" by "Resistencia suburbana. Showing the insertion of Spanish in its lines. Igor Maver said that MUlticulturalism should not be dismissed as an enterily unworkable, utopian concept, although it is today a greatly problematic issue in need of some not only cosmetic revision with a view of transculturalism and transnationalism. The lyrics of the song:
Estamos cada vez más yankis, Estamos cada vez mas yankis
There are several songs that exemlify this type of CS. One of the examples I decided to show is the song "Estamos cada vez mas Yankis" by "Resistencia suburbana. Showing the insertion of Spanish in its lines. Igor Maver said that MUlticulturalism should not be dismissed as an enterily unworkable, utopian concept, although it is today a greatly problematic issue in need of some not only cosmetic revision with a view of transculturalism and transnationalism. The lyrics of the song:
Le mandaste un
E-mail al personal trainer
Que conociste en la
Web para invitarlo al Pub
Compraste cigarrillos
en el ¡Drugstore!
Encargaste una pizza en
el ¡Delivery!
¡Una hora chateaste en Ciberbar!
Y a tu Playstation
le compraste un Joystick
No navegas Internet,
¿se te rompió el Mouse?
Escuchas tu compact
en el Discman
que cambiaste por tu
viejo Walkman
¿Te aburriste de pasear
en Rollers?
¿Te cansaste de tu Mountain
Bike?
Es más divertido pasear
en Skate.
Estamos cada vez más yankis, Estamos cada vez mas yankis
Tu Stripper se
hizo Gay en una fiesta Swinger,
que bueno estaba el Book
que mandaste para el Casting.
El Body Piercing
te quedó re Fashion.
A tu mamá le quedó bien
el Lifting.
Tu hermana quiere ser
una top model
Tu otra hermana quiere
ser una Pop Star
¿No se conforman con
ser Baby Sitter?
Todo el día comiendo
cosas Diet.
Todo el día tomando
cosas Light
De paseo a tu novio le
compraste un Slip,
y él muy agradecido te
compró un Baby Doll.
But I wanna add a song that is originally in english but it includes spanish references. It shows the alternation between languages. The song I want to share is a sequel from the song “La Bamba”, the very first spanish song played and sung in English Speaking Countries. Due to the success of the hit, many artists decided to include latin words to their songs. This is another example of Multiculturalism explained by Igor Maver. The song is “Who’s that girl?” by Madonna.
But I wanna add a song that is originally in english but it includes spanish references. It shows the alternation between languages. The song I want to share is a sequel from the song “La Bamba”, the very first spanish song played and sung in English Speaking Countries. Due to the success of the hit, many artists decided to include latin words to their songs. This is another example of Multiculturalism explained by Igor Maver. The song is “Who’s that girl?” by Madonna.
Quien es esa nina, (who's that girl?)
Senorita, mas fina, (who's that girl?)
Quien es esa nina, (who's that girl?)
Senorita, mas fina, (who's that girl?)
POLLITO CHICKEN is a social satire story. It is
considered as the founding work of literary spanglish. Its author is Ana Lydia
Vega. She is Puerto Rican and she based in New York.
This story has a harsh criticism of the loss of identity
of immigrants arriving in the United States.
Vega uses the juxtaposition of English and Spanish to
represent Suzie's feelings about Puerto Rico.( Suzie is the protagonist in the
story)
The narrator vacillates between English, Spanish and
Puerto Rican slang in a masterful example of CS.
Examples of CS ( insertion and alternation) that we can
find in this story.
Alternation:
- Tan pronto hizo todos los arrangements de rigor, Suzie
se precipitó hacia su de luxe suite para ponerse el sexy polkadot bikini que
había comprado en Gimbers especialmente para esta fantastic occasion.
- Todo lo cual nos pone en el aprieto de contarles el
surprise return de Suzie Bermiúdez a su native land tras diez años de luchas
incesantes.
- Pensó con cierto amusement en lo que hubiese sido de
ella si a Mother no se le ocurre la brilliant idea de emigrar.
- Como un
frankfurter girando dócilmente en un horno de cristal.
- Se sintió como
si estuviera bailando un fox-trot
- San Juan is wonderful, corroboró el jefe con benév ola inflexión.
- San Juan is wonderful, corroboró el jefe con benév ola inflexión.
(as a structural strategy for indexing multiple
border identities)
In this part, I have chosen a part of the movie
Babel, where a couple is in Morocco for holidays and they go into a tour when
the woman is shot by a kid who was playing in the hills with his father’s
shotgun. Her husband tries to find help in a town nearby, the problem that
comes to light is that he doesn’t speak arabic and he needs
someone to help him communicate with the witch doctor woman that will take care
of his wife. This shows how important are languages when we travel
or when we need to communicate with someone that doesn’t speak our language.
Maybe if Brad Pitt’s character wouldn’t have found a translator , his wife would
have suffered so much more, or maybe they wouldn’t have been able to reach the town .
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