Giving voice to the silenced: Identity negotiation among second-generation Kurdish Londoners

Abstract

This thesis examines how second-generation Kurds in London negotiate their identities and how these negotiations are reflected in their bilingualism. While Kurdishness has long been marginalised and silenced in the homeland, diasporic spaces such as London provide new opportunities for its rearticulation in relation to Britishness. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with twelve participants, the study analyses identity formation through the lenses of acculturation (Berry 1997), biculturalism (Benet-Martínez & Haritatos 2005; Phinney et al. 2001), and sociolinguistic research on bilingualism in diaspora (Luk 2022; Grosjean 2010). The findings reveal three broad orientations: Kurdish-oriented, British-oriented, and dual or hybrid identities. These orientations are fluid, continually negotiated and reshaped by intergenerational memory, community engagement, and the multicultural environment of London. Language emerges as a key site of negotiation: Kurmancî anchors heritage and affective belonging, while English dominates daily life and facilitates integration into British society. Patterns of language use mirror identity alignments: participants exhibit varied language practices, from purism to hybrid code-switching. By foregrounding the voices of second-generation Kurds, the study demonstrates how identity is constantly reshaped and takes different forms across contexts, reflecting heritage, community, and diasporic belonging. It further contributes to understandings of how minority identities are reconfigured in multicultural contexts, highlighting the role of bilingual practices in bringing silenced identities into speech.