Spanish in the Antipodes : diversity and hybridity of Latino/a Spanish speakers in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand

The Antipodes is a way of referring to Australia and New Zealand mainly from a northern hemisphere perspective. It is commonly used by North Americans and Northern Europeans to refer to Australasia and the South Pacific. As authors we are mindful of the term representing an “outsider” lens, not commonly used by Australians or New Zealanders themselves. Its adoption here aims to reposition the notion of antipodean to de-emphasize the idea of a centre/periphery relationship and, instead, underscore the meaning of a southern “counterpart”, a region with its own voices, identities and practices. Although relatively minor in terms of speaker numbers, antipodean Spanish-speaking communities maintain richly diverse cultural and linguistic practices and, importantly, in geographical isolation from the northern hemisphere and its sociolinguistic landscapes.