Current Issue

Language & Social Justice in the United States

EDITORS Walt Wolfram, Anne H. Charity Hudley, and Guadalupe Valdés

Linguistic justice is central to social justice. Yet it has largely been left out of the swell of academic research and programs intended to address social and racial inequalities on campus and in American society. In fact, while higher education institutions have vocally supported antiracist and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, they have at the same time been active agents in the reproduction of linguistic inequality.

Language variation is highly politicized behavior, from the construct of “standardized languages,” which many consider essential for writing and speaking in academic settings, to narratives about language loss and “endangered” languages.

The Summer 2023 issue of Dædalus on “Language and Social Justice in the United States” examines the consequences of linguistic biases and suggests how we can integrate linguistic justice into our core values. The authors call for expansive approaches to countering linguistic bias—in the witness and jury box, at work, in art, in our everyday conversations, and beyond.