New minorities and linguistic diversity: some reflections from the Spanish and Basque perspectives

Abstract

'Human rights of immigrants have not been directly related to rights recognised to members of traditional minorities in some constitutional or international frameworks. However, immigration processes entail new demands of integrating linguistic rights within the public space and institutions. The Spanish example can open new challenges to multiculturalist approaches, since it brings together traditional and new linguistic diversity in a very significant level. In particular, new challenges arise in sub-state autonomous entities, as is the case in the Basque country, where linguistic diversity has been a traditional element of the society. These new multilingual realities challenge the traditional view of diversity and force us to rethink the substantial contents of some fundamental rights in order to accommodate democratically linguistic diversity in post-modern societies.' (author's abstract)