Jezični identitet hrvatske iseljeničke zajednice u Čileu

This paper presents an analysis of the current state of the Croatian language in Chile, that is the degree to which and the ways it has been preserved in the Chilean cities of Punta Arenas, Porvenir, Iquiqe, Antofagasta, Santiago and Concepcion. These cities and the surrounding areas are inhabited by a large number of descendants of Croatian immigrants and the analysis of schools, institutions and centers that offer courses and activities involving partial use of the Croatian language will provide a clear picture of the existence of the Croatian language in the Spanish- speaking areas. In addition, this will also raise a question of whether and how to stop, or at least slown down the process of extinction of the Croatian language, and thereby identity, in the largest Croatian immigrant community in the Southern Hemisphere.