Who decides what makes a language? In countries all over the world, there are official organizations with that job–in France, Croatia, India, Denmark, Nigeria, Mexico. But Ilan Stavans reminds us that in the United States, the people decide our language. And: Katrina Powell shares the expected immigrant narrative and the ways in which writers are constantly resisting and countering that expected story.

Later in the show: Cristina Stanciu author of The Makings and Unmakings of Americans, argues that it’s worth looking at turn of the century immigrant narratives alongside another group–Native Americans–who were also trying to prove their case as Americans in the public sphere. Plus: In the U.S., Hispanic neighborhoods sit at an intersection of American and Latin identities. Christina Rodriguez says these barrios play a big part in Latinx literature, but you’ve got to walk their streets to know how.