Identity trans-formation in contact zones: sociallization of israeli immigrant youth in canada

"This study explores the impact of immigration on the lived experiences of Israeli immigrant youth, their linguistic, cultural, social, and academic endeavors in different contact zones--focusing on the interplay of language and socialization practices as they work their way into a multicultural Canadian society. Drawing on a socio-cultural perspective, I bring into play three theoretical constructs-transnationalism, contact zone, and language socialization-all intertwined with the concept of identity, to explore the relationships between immigrant language learners, social interaction, and identity construction. Drawing on an ethnographic approach, the data collected involve in-depth interviews with 12 generation 1.5 Israeli immigrant youth, participant observations, and other sources. The findings demonstrate the interrelations of language, identity, and immigration in the socialization processes and identification practices of Israeli immigrant youth where Hebrew and English play an important role in terms of ideology and pragmatics. Language socialization is a translingual process in which Israeli immigrant youth constantly cross linguistic borders in their transnational and social practices, creating a contact zone involving individuals with multiple languages and social and ethnic alignments. The findings also reveal multidirectional power relations in the contact zone where, in addition to vertical power relationships with the dominant culture, Israeli immigrant youth interact with other ethnic immigrant youth in horizontal relations, creating a safe space within contested spaces. The co-presence of local and global contact zones where Israeli immigrant youth negotiate new meanings illuminate their identity transformation as a trajectory signifying moving in between transnational and diasporic identification. On an applied level, this study highlights the significant role that teachers play as either enabling or constraining forces, the important role peers play in facilitating or hindering social integration and language development, and the crucial function of the ESL (English as a second language) classroom in creating a socio-psychological and linguistic ""safe space"" for generation 1.5 students."