Amelia Tseng

Dr. Amelia Tseng serves as Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics and Director of the Linguistics Program at American University. She holds affiliate appointments in Anthropology and the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS), and previously directed the Bilingual Education program. Her scholarly profile integrates academic rigor with public engagement, evidenced by features in National Public Radio and WUSA 9.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University
• M.S. in Linguistics from Georgetown University
• M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University
• B.A. in Spanish and English, Magna Cum Laude, from Wellesley College

Dr. Tseng's research pioneers frameworks for understanding language-identity dynamics in Latinx diasporic communities, emphasizing multilingualism, dialect variation, and ethnoracial identity construction. Through ethnographic methods including interviews and surveys, she examines how Washington, D.C.'s Latinx population navigates cultural hybridity in a historically Black urban landscape. Her work reveals how language practices forge new forms of Latinidad while negotiating racialized cultural hierarchies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications shows dominant trends in sociolinguistics of diaspora, with concentrated focus on heritage language insecurity, translinguistic practices, and raciolinguistic perspectives in educational contexts. Her scholarship consistently bridges theoretical innovation with community-centered research, particularly through the Washington, D.C. Latinx Language and Identity Project (DCLLIP).

Recognition for her contributions includes:

• American University and Georgetown University teaching/research awards
• Society for Applied Anthropology and National Science Foundation honors
• 2020 American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Book Prize for co-edited volume

As Principal Investigator of DCLLIP, Dr. Tseng leads interdisciplinary research examining language-identity intersections in the nation's capital. Her grants portfolio includes National Science Foundation support, while her academic leadership extends to directing the Linguistics Program and mentoring through CLALS. She actively shapes national discourse through keynotes at major conferences including NWAV and NSSHL.

Dr. Tseng's institutional impact spans the Linguistics Program, CLALS, and Anthropology Department, where she cultivates cross-disciplinary collaboration. Her upcoming monograph with Georgetown University Press represents the first comprehensive linguistics study of D.C.'s Latinx community, synthesizing a decade of ethnographic work into transformative theoretical contributions.