Erased Voices and Unspoken Heritage

Language, Identity and Belonging in the Lives of Cultural In-betweeners
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-87312-1
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 172 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 429 g

In a world where cultural identity is often defined by national borders, this book follows the compelling journeys of young adults caught between preserving the culture and language of their migrant parents and navigating societal pressures to fit into the country in which they were born. Through intimate “walk-and-talk” interviews, the book gives voice to young adults who reflect on their experiences growing up with multiple languages and cultures. These personal stories offer a rich exploration of language, place, and belonging that resonates with anyone familiar with the struggle to reconcile different worlds.

The book provides an insight into their multifaceted lives, inviting readers into the intimate spaces where personal identity meets societal expectation. The book challenges conventional paradigms of cultural conformity and examines how these young adults define themselves beyond simplistic labels.

Erased Voices and Unspoken Heritage offers fresh perspectives on why some second-generation migrants embrace, reject, or negotiate their heritage languages. It also critiques the harmful consequences of “passing” within homogenous constructs and highlights the broader implications for diversity, hybridity, and multilingualism. This thought-provoking book will appeal to anyone interested in the complexities of identity, race, and language in multicultural societies.

Zielgruppe

Academic and Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Balci, Zozan

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Soziolinguistik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. A Day in the life of the Ethnically Ambiguous 2. The Ghosts of Our Past: Conceptualising Heritage as Capital 3. Eternal In-Betweeners: Narratives and Lived Experiences of Hybrid Identity 4. Of Wogs, White-Washing, Turbans and a Black Miss Japan: Race and Visibility 5. Bourdieu with a Side of Garlic Sauce: Not to Speak is to Speak 6. A Generation that Could Change the World - If We Let Them

Über Autor(innen)

Zozan Balci is an award-winning sociolinguist and academic at the University of Technology Sydney. Born in Germany to immigrant parents, her experiences shape her work on language, identity, and migration. Her research focuses on advancing inclusivity and belonging, especially for those who have been ethnically minoritised.