Strength of Ethnic Identity and Perceptions of Ethnolinguistic Vitality among Mexican Americans

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between strength of ethnic identity and perceived group vitality. Mexican Americans in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area perceived English andAnglos as more vital than Spanish and Mexican Americans. Ethnic identity had a significant influence on perceived ingroup vitality but not on perceived outgroup vitality. Respondents who strongly identified their ethnic group perceived their group's vitality to be higher than did those who identified less strongly with their ethnic group. First language did not influence vitality perceptons.

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