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Abstract

Study of the role of English use in the lives of two undocumented indigenous Honduran immigrants to the southwestern United States reveals that the label “illegal” applied to undocumented immigrants influences their integration into U.S. society. Participants in the study used social/cultural capital to intervene in their underclass status. English proficiency served as a credentialed skill that allowed them social mobility, and the cultural value of being of service enabled them to transform their experience.

Un estudio de la función de uso del inglés en las vidas de dos indígenas hondureños indocumentados en el suroeste de Estados Unidos revela que la etiqueta de “ilegal” aplicada a los inmigrantes indocumentados influye en su integración a la sociedad estadounidense. Los participantes en el estudio utilizaron capital social/cultural para intervenir en su condición de subclase. El dominio del idioma inglés sirvió como una habilidad reconocida que les permitía acceder a la movilidad social, y el valor cultural de ser de utilidad les permitió transformar su experiencia.

Keywords

Social capital Transformational capital Undocumented immigration English as a second language Indigenous Hondurans

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Transforming Experience through English Use and Service-oriented Cultural Capital

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