ABSTRACT
For more than five hundred years, Latin America has hosted and incorporated a substantial number of diverse immigrant communities from around the world. From its colonial period under the rule of Spain, Portugal, and other European countries, to its fast-paced integration with the globalized world in current times, this region has represented a beacon for immigrants who left their native countries in search of new opportunities and, thus, have helped form local identities, both in the past and in the present. Many scholars have centered their efforts on understanding the historical immigration trends and the mosaic of motivations for immigrant waves to Latin American countries. However, much still remains to be explored and unveiled, particularly with regard to the patterns of heritage language (HL) maintenance and the shifts within the immigrant communities that have established themselves in the new world.
