(Con)Texts for Cultural and Linguistic Hybridity among Somali Diaspora Youth

The perspectives of immigrant youth are important to be aware of because they can reveal the powerful role society has in framing and forming the range of possibilities available to them. Culturally speaking, immigrant youth often face mismatches between home and school values, but they sometimes encounter intracultural struggles as well. This article reviews literature about immigrant cultural adaptation and then illustrates concepts of cultural third space (Bhabha, 1994) using three texts produced by Somali adolescent boys. The texts offer examples of Somali adolescent perspectives and a window into their language use, and identities that take shape at school, at home, and in other public spaces. A discussion of each text connects to questions and implications for educators.