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Being English, stories from Black British millennials

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Being English, stories from Black British millennials

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Pre-existing data from 2019 interviews

Interviews (and a focus group) with Yoruba heritage speakers/learners "latent bilinguals"

Inductive (note easy!) approach so not starting from a theoretical perspective.

In looking at the data again, this time through a 'narrative lens', interesting things weren't necessarily happening in stories about Yoruba language and identity.

But...

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One interaction in particular had lots of storytelling of all the types we've looked at in class, so this was my starting point.

Multiple thematically related narratives related caught my attention

3 excerpts to share

I can't always see the wood for the trees, so any help with the last 2 excerpts would be greatly appreciated...!

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This excerpt is what followed after D was asked how she came to identify more as 'Nigerian' in adulthood than she did when she was a child/teen.

1. And I remember when one of the schools I was in

2. were told they were going to get a British JET

3. and I’ll never forget how confused they were when I was Black

4. and they were just expecting some

5. Prince Charles looking blonde White man to walk into their room.

6. A lot of the time when I was in Japan

7. and I’d be like “イギリス人です” [I’m English]

8. and they’ll just be like >“イギリス人?”< [English?]

9. And then I just started to think a lot more like “okay shit,

10. maybe I’m British to British people,

11. but I’m not on a global scale, like and I’m not in this context.

12. So maybe I should start thinking about who I am and what I am,

13. and not try and hide from that and take pride in it.”

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Dʻs storyline of herself (I am English) gets transformed by Japanese incomprehension of her as such, and thus invites her to resituate herself as "someone who takes pride in her Nigerian identity"

This incomprehensibility of D being English (conceptually) gets responded to by D reflecting on her racialized identity and this leads D to position herself differently

"Iʻm British --> Iʻm a Nigerian woman who lives in Britain"

Subject positions

Position Theory

Davies, B., & Harré, R. (1990). Positioning: The discursive production of selves. Journal for the theory of social behaviour, 20(1), 43-63.

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Pretty self explanatory excerpt. K is asking T questions about being 'English'

1. K: Would you identify yourself as English?

2. T: It depends on the setting. It depends who’s asking.

3. K: When would you be English and when would you not be English?

4. T: I mean, hey, If a police officer is asking me a few questions,

5. “Hey, I’m English”.

6. If I’m in America and I’m trying to get through control,

7. “I’m English”.

8. You know the places to say you’re English.

9. If I’m in Nigeria and someone’s trying to give me trouble,

10. then yeah I’m English.

11. Certain times in Nigerian you’re English.

12. Certain places you’re like

13. “Ah! O mọ mi now, kí ló ń ṣẹlẹ̀?” [“Hey, you know who I am, what’s the problem?”]

14. So you have to know how to just survive.

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T is unusual in the data.

Rather than being a label, and something essential to his self, T sees identity as a tool he is able to utilize in different contexts.

Instrumentalist view of identity.

His detachment in some ways, gives him a sense of freedom. He is whoever he needs to be in a given context. He can move seamlessly between the identities he can occupy and wield the privileges to his advantage.

However, perspective this has emerged from constraining/confining "negative" experiences.

Counter to the meta-narratives of identity.

Looking for scholarly work on this...anyone?

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This excerpt follows a discussion about why P and her husband (T from excerpt 2) are re-learning Yoruba language:

1. We don’t want it [Yoruba language/culture] to die out with us.

2. Our kids will be more and more British,

3. and we just thought that “no”

4. I think it really hit me when erm one of his nephews said “I’m English”

5. and we were like, “What?!”

6. Not even “I’m from South London” or things like that.

7. It was like “What?”

8. I’ve just never seen a person that associated themselves with “Oh I’m English”.

9. Like, I do see myself as Black-British

10. but I mainly see myself as Nigerian first even though I wasn’t born there.

11. So I’ll always say I’m Nigerian, then Black-British-Nigerian.

12. But Nigerian mainly,

13. so it’s just really weird him saying that.

14. So that can’t be our children ((laughs)).

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This idea of 'passing on what wasn't given' features prominently in the data.

Among participants, a big motivation to learn Yoruba was to have 'Yoruba kids' or at least children who would be more connected to the culture.

What that means for British Yoruba heritage adults is tricky, but for P, there's a line. "Nigerian people, even British ones, can't be English."

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Click picture to follow the link to an editable version of the presentations, and feel free to add a tab or write any comments below each card!

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Click picture to follow the link to an editable version of the presentations, and feel free to add a tab or write any comments below each card!