RAB Source Entry 2 – Dessire

Part 1- MLA Citation

Stavans, Ilan. “Opinion | ‘Don’t Lose Your Accent!’” The New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/opinion/english-immigrants-language.html.

Part 2 – Summary

In the article “Don’t Lose Your Accent!” Ilan Stavans tells us how the American language is heavily influenced by other languages. Stavans reflects upon other languages to show how America has incorporated words and foods into its own lexicon. Additionally, Stavans expresses the idea that each person dictates what the English Language consist of. Stavans concludes by restating how American English has been able to bring us together although there are factors such as ideological polarization that may have influenced others to think otherwise. 

Part 3 – Reflection

I agree with Stavans’ point that the American language is a mixture of multiple cultures into one. Personally, I have experienced a diverse country. Every school I went to had students from many backgrounds, yet we all identified as American. Although I am Dominican , I am also American. In fact there are many Spanish words that also translate the same in English. There are words like chocolate, hospital, idea, funeral , inevitable and so on that mean the same thing in both languages. The American lexicon is still growing and with time I believe that more and more words from  other countries will be incorporated. 

Part 4- Rhetorical Analysis

Stavans is the Lewis-Sebring professor at Amherst College and a consultant to the Oxford English Dictionary. He is also the author of “The People’s Tongue: Americans and the English Language.” Throughout this article Stavans focuses on reaching the public. The reason he wants to reach out is to show how multiculturalism has positively affected the way America is perceived to be. Stavans chooses to write an opinion article to reveal his input as well as others. He does this to demonstrate the progress that America has already made through the influence of other countries and languages. Stavans also gives a sense of urgency and persuasion to help others see that cross-culturalism is inevitable. Since this article had been published in 2023, it is still relatively current. This means she can show more relevance towards today’s education compared to prior years. This article has been published by a well-established newspaper in New York; “The New York Times.” It is said that the New York Times has won over 132 Pulitzer Prizes (the most of any newspaper) and has long been regarded as a national “newspaper of record.” This endorses the fact that he is a very credible and reliable source. 

Part 5 – Notable Quotables

“Some even argue that multiculturalism dilutes our national character — that the very essence of the country is somehow vanishing.” (Stavans) 

“As newcomers master a new language, they lend words from their native lexicon to the rest of us. For example, the English language — or maybe we should just call it American — has borrowed from others to name the foods so many of us love.” (Stavans) 

“That is, Merriam-Webster doesn’t tell us how to speak. It’s the other way around: Native speakers and immigrants alike dictate what the dictionary should contain.” (Stavans) 

“While American English can be perceived as a threat to the survival of other cultures around the world, in our country it is a force that helps to bind us together, even as ideological polarization pulls the other way. Immigrants help us reinvigorate our multitudinous language.” (Stavans)