Chinese migrant families in the City of Buenos Aires and glottopolitical initiatives: language as an oasis or as a tool

Abstract

This paper presents the partial results of a research project that seeks to analyze the language policies of Chinese families in Argentina. This particular article will describe the experience of Chinese migrants in the so-called “Chinese schools” and will analyze the ideologies associated with Putonghua. The analysis takes into account the responses to interviews conducted during 2022 and 2023 with young people of Chinese descent. As general conclusions, it is possible to affirm two issues: on the one hand, that experiences in Chinese schools are decisive in their subsequent work careers and, on the other hand, that there is a back and forth between linking language with identity or understanding it as a tool for economic development.