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The US is Not Enough: Why the Real World of Linguistics Needs Your Voice (Response to Charity Hudley et al.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Elizabeth Peterson
Elizabeth Peterson*
Affiliation:
University of Helsinki
*
Department of Languages, PO Box 24 / Union Street 40B, University of Helsinki 00014, Finland, [elizabeth.peterson@helsinki.fi]
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Abstract

In their target article, Charity Hudley, Mallinson, and Bucholtz (2020) have raised several issues and suggestions relating to improving racial equality within the scientific field of linguistics. While accepting the general premises of the authors' original article, this response piece offers reasons and suggestions for expanding the scope of the authors' original aims to apply to a broader, global audience. Four main issues are raised as justification and also as measures for expanding the call to action. These are: (i) the fact that the Linguistic Society of America is the flagship linguistics organization not just for US linguists, but for linguists throughout the world; (ii) the global influence and, in association, the responsibility placed on US and North American linguists to serve as trailblazers in our field; (iii) the applicability of the authors' suggestions within different academic settings, and what can be learned from cross-fertilization of ideas across different communities; and (iv) the critical role of English as a vehicle for spreading not only knowledge about linguistics, but also harmful ideologies about race, class, and ethnicity.

Keywords

linguistic discriminationinstitutional racismracismEnglish for special purposesglobalizationresponsibilityideology

Information

Type
Perspectives
Information
Language , Volume 96 , Issue 4 , December 2020 , pp. e247 - e253
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Linguistic Society of America

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Footnotes

*

Many thanks to Dave Sayers, Friederike Lüpke, and Sandra Jansen for commenting on an early draft of this manuscript. Thanks to David Robinson for offering prompt and helpful advice about LSA membership. I gratefully acknowledge the advice and feedback of this journal's editor and associate editors. Finally, thank you to Charity Hudley, Mallinson, and Bucholtz for their groundbreaking contribution and for initiating this discussion. The normal disclaimers apply.

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