Minoritized language and migration: linguistic practices of Galician guest workers in the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to analyze the linguistic practices of a migrant collective, speakers of a minoritized language, from a glottopolitical perspective. This will be illustrated by the description of the communicative practices of the migrant workers from Galicia (Spain) in Hanover (Federal Republic of Germany) in the 1960s and beyond. In order to do so, the articulation of two specific ideologemes held by German and Spanish institutions will be examined, namely the ‘myth of return’ that surrounded the Spanish migration to the FRG and the ‘one nation, one language, one State’ triad.