Creole identity, transnational migration, and Language endangerment in a Philippine context

Abstract This paper examines changes in Chabacano (Philippine Spanish Creole) identity in the national and global context of mass migration, focusing on the case of Cavite City, Philippines. Based on qualitative analysis of sociolinguistic, ethnographic, and literary data, we analyze translocal cultural and hybrid language practices in the context of language endangerment in the Cavite Chabacano-speaking community. The results show that due to the effects of migration, Caviteño identity has shifted from local to translocal, with Chabacano coming to represent nostalgia and authenticity as the language becomes more endangered. These shifts in identity are related to longstanding historical and cultural patterns, with complex dynamics reflecting both local pride and participation in the national and global markets. The Cavite Chabacano case also shows that the idea that ‘when a language dies, a culture dies’ is difficult to maintain in the multilingual Philippine context.