Linguistic Code-Switching as Identity Preservation

Sor Juana moved fluently between Nahuatl, Spanish, Latin, and local dialects—each language carrying different cultural worlds, power dynamics, and access to knowledge. For her and for people in poverty generally, linguistic code-switching is not merely a survival skill but a practice of identity preservation. When institutions demand one language and identity demands another, code-switching allows people to keep their authentic selves intact while accessing resources or safety. It is a form of cognitive and cultural resilience. However, code-switching also carries cost: the mental labor of managing multiple selves, the vulnerability of never fully expressing one's whole identity in institutional spaces, the risk that one's authentic voice will be dismissed as inferior or unintelligible. This concept examines both the necessity and the burden of linguistic code-switching for people in poverty, particularly those navigating educational or professional institutions. It validates the intelligence and agency involved while also recognizing the toll. Identity work here means claiming ownership of all one's languages and registers, refusing the hierarchy that positions any voice as deficient.