Second-Generation South Asian Britons

Second-Generation South Asian Britons: A Narrative Inquiry into Multilingualism, Heritage Languages, and Diasporic Identity uses the narratives of seven high-professional, second-generation South Asian Britons to explore issues related to Heritage Language learning and maintenance, discourses of identity and the practices of multicultural families in the UK. Through semi-structured interviews conducted in English, the participants of the study provide articulate and reflective accounts of the language dynamics in the families they grew up in, the communities and environs of their childhood, their young adulthoods and their current lives as parents of dual-heritage children.  By investigating both the stories that they tell and how they tell them, this study offers insights into how monolingual narratives can be used to comment on multilingualism.  

In an age of global mobility, heritage languages and migrant identities are now a key element in understanding contemporary cultural life. Kalayil’s rich and sensitive exploration of second generation British Asian narratives offers a unique insight into the increasingly widespread phenomenon of intercultural identity. Through her participants’ voices and stories, Kalayil showcases the heterogeneous nature of cultural and linguistic capital, and the correspondingly diverse ways in which individuals create a sense of self, a sense of culture, and a place in a changing world. The volume challenges students, scholars, and the general public to look beyond simple cultural generalisations and recognise the unique ways in which culture resides in the individual.

Sheena Kalayil is teaching fellow at the University of Manchester.