‘If you don’t speak Norwegian well, they think you are stupid’: experiencing and responding to linguistic racism by Polish migrant workers

Abstract

Although Poles constitute the largest migration community in Norway, they sometimes remain invisibly present as well as tend to be stigmatized and overlooked in integration policies, specifically, language courses. As language is assumed to be crucial for professional success, knowledge of Norwegian or lack thereof may include or exclude individuals from professional spaces. Guided by the constructs of linguistic racism and Whiteness, this qualitative study drew upon narrative inquiry to gain in-depth understandings of Polish migrants’ experiences while navigating the workplace. 22 participants were recruited, each of whom was of Polish background, was employed in Norway, and used Norwegian at work. The data included semi-structured individual and focus group interviews, surveys and researcher’s reflexive journal. The findings provide nuanced insights into Polish migrants’ linguistic realities in the workplace. Specifically, the study demonstrates: (a) how participants experienced various types of linguistic racism and (b) responded by either challenging, opposing, rationalizing and/or denying linguistic racism. Results of this study can be helpful in addressing migrants’ needs in creating linguistically just workplace settings.