Race and the Rise of Standard American

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Focusing on race-consciousness, the study explores its impact on American English pronunciation and the ideology of standardization throughout the twentieth century. It highlights how prescriptivist discourses, xenophobia towards immigration, and the closing of the western frontier shaped perceptions of proper speech and ethnicity in the American West and Midwest. This work holds significance for scholars and students across various fields, including linguistics, American studies, and cultural studies, particularly in relation to race, class, and gender dynamics.