Film Forum

The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA) is an independent non-profit based in New York City and the only organization in the world focused on the immense linguistic diversity of urban areas. Many of the New York area’s estimated 800 languages are highly endangered; for many, New York is a major center. ELA documents endangered languages in and around NYC while educating the larger public about the causes and consequences of language endangerment.

Daniel Kaufman is an assistant professor of linguistics at Queens College at the City University of New York and a founder and co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance. In this latter capacity, he works with various communities from around the world on questions of grammar, language use, language transmission, linguistic rights and discrimination in urban diasporas. As a linguist, his research focuses primarily on the Austronesian languages of the Philippines and Indonesia and in this connection he also serves as co-editor of the journal Oceanic Linguistics.

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