Cultural Identity and Literacy Among Immigrant Youth

Immigrant youth navigate complex processes of self-definition and language acquisition as they settle into new social and educational contexts. Cultural identity emerges through the interaction of home and host cultures, encompassing heritage languages, values and social norms. Literacy is not limited to the ability to decode and comprehend written texts but includes multimodal practices that span digital platforms, peer networks and community contexts. The interplay between cultural identity and literacy influences academic achievement, psychosocial well-being and the formation of social capital. Youth who maintain strong ties to their heritage culture often display greater resilience, whereas those who experience cultural dissonance may encounter isolation or lowered self-esteem. Educational environments that acknowledge students’ linguistic repertoires and cultural backgrounds can foster more inclusive pedagogies, supporting both language development and identity affirmation. Globally, policymakers and practitioners are increasingly focused on bridging identity affirmation with innovative literacy programmes, recognising that empowered cultural identities underpin successful learning and civic engagement.

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Cultural Identity and Literacy Among Immigrant Youth publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in cultural identity and literacy among immigrant youth across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Cultural identity: The sense of belonging to a group based on shared language, traditions, values and social practices.

Literacy practices: The diverse ways in which individuals engage with written, digital and multimodal texts within specific cultural contexts.

Transraciolinguistic justice: A conceptual framework that examines how language, race and digital environments intersect to either include or marginalise speakers of racially minoritised backgrounds.

Psychosocial development: The process by which individuals form emotional well-being and social relationships in response to environmental and cultural influences.

References

1. Black immigrants in the United States: Transraciolinguistic justice for imagined futures in a global metaverse. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics (2022).
2. How language challenges affect the behaviour of immigrant learners in the Foundation Phase at three schools in Gauteng, South Africa. South African Journal of Childhood Education (2020).
3. Transnational Immigration and Education: A Case Study of an Ethiopian Immigrant High School Student. Creative Education (2012).