Use of Deixis as Evidence of Symbolic Transnationalism among 1.5- and Second- Generation Miami Cubans

In a highly global world, migrant communities navigate multiple cultural and linguistic contexts. To understand these cross-cultural ties and bridge the fields of linguistics and transnationalism, the present study provides detailed linguistic analysis of the interrelation between heritage language use and symbolic transnationalism among the Cuban-American population in Miami. More specifically, the phenomenon of symbolic transnationalism, which generally includes emotional ties, a sense of belonging, and sense of home, is investigated as it is reflected in the discourse of 1.5- and second-generation Miami Cubans. To complete the study, discourse analysis of sociolinguistic interviews with 75 young adults of Cuban origin was performed to investigate the use of deictic markers as reflection of symbolic transnationalism. According to the results, the target population demonstrates a strong sense of belonging to the ethnic (Cuban) community as expressed with markers of personal proximity and inclusion. The concept of belonging to the country of origin surfaces in deictic markers indicating metaphorical proximity but temporal and spatial distance. Overall, this study provides linguistic evidence of an overarching high level of symbolic transnationalism among Miami Cubans and demonstrates relevance of deictic markers as means to investigate, along with linguistic phenomena, broader societal issues

Deixis · Linguistics · Miami · Political science · Population · Sociology · Transnationalism · Cuban History and Society · Demography · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Gender Studies · Law · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy

• Transnational connections in discourse

  Maria Yakushkina•International Journal of…•2025

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