This is the first in a sequence of four ‘results’ chapters. The main focus here is on the role that ethnicity plays in the identity formation processes of both the first and the second generation. As all of the following chapters in this book, it starts with a theoretical discussion of the main concepts—in this case identity and ethnicity. This theoretical discussion is followed by a section on the identities of the first generation and a subsequent section on the identities of the second-generation teenagers. The chapter integrates the findings of this project with literature on identity and ethnicity in different life stages, and on ethnic identity of immigrants and their descendants. The findings show that there are important differences between the first and second generation in how they experience identity. While the first generation experiences its identity mainly in relation to roles and status, the second generation’s identity is mostly focused on age-related emotions and activities, although in-group differences are significant. In terms of ethnic identification, however, one of the main results of this research is that the ethnicity of origin, as least in primordial terms, is not a main reference point in the identification processes of the Albanian migrants and their children. Locality impacts the identification of migrants and their descendants. As mentioned above, city identity and urban culture is important for the identification of these groups, especially in the case of the teenagers. This identificational trend is particularly evident in Florence where teenagers make strong references to the local culture and its universal value.
CITATION STYLE
Vathi, Z. (2015). Identities of the First and Second Generation: The Role of Ethnicity. In IMISCOE Research Series (pp. 37–72). Springer Science and Business Media B.V. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13024-8_2
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