Reyna Grande, translingüismo y autotraducción

On the basis of some reflections on the critical role of language in memoirs written by translingual authors, I look to the the reasons why Chicano writer Reyna Grande (Iguala de la Independencia, 1975-) decided to self-translate her memoir The Distance between us (2012) into Spanish. I also discuss the possible reasons for the controversial reception of the Spanish version of the book, drawing on the translanguaging approach to sociolinguistics. I argue that part of the criticism expressed by the Spanish-speaking readership concerning the translingual elements in the memoir is based on the same ideology of purism that marginalizes non-Anglophone immigrants in the US. As a result, Latinos tend to be stigmatized because of their translanguaging practices not only as English speakers, but also as Spanish speakers.