“They’re Bilingual . . . That Means They Don’t Know the Language”

Abstract

This chapter links the ethnoracial constructions detailed in the first half of the book to an analysis of language ideologies and linguistic practices associated with Latinx identities. It begins by arguing that monolingual ideologies produce a profound transformation in which bilingualism comes to be equated with the category of “Limited English Proficiency.” Meanwhile, students designated as English Language Learners are positioned alongside special education students as second-class educational figures. It shows how this situation can be productively understood in relation to what is described as a racialized ideology of “languagelessness” that positions students as incapable of using any language legitimately. The double stigmatization that results from standardizing forces surrounding English and Spanish demonstrates how ideologies of languagelessness operate in powerful ways to racialize students as inherently linguistically deficient.