Abstract

This thesis presents a multilayered qualitative analysis of the identity and sense of belonging of second-generation immigrants in Montréal. Through a methodology consisting of individual interviews and focus groups, this research explores the everyday experiences of second- generation immigrants as they navigate various social relationships and negotiate colliding cultural environments. The conceptualization of second-generation immigration poses as an interesting theoretical issue for the understanding of different experiences of migration. Analyses of intergenerational relationships suggest that family members greatly influence second- generation immigrants’ identity and sense of belonging through multiple processes of socialization. Furthermore, within the context of this province, language is revealed as a meaningful feature of these individuals’ lives, as they navigate several language policies and different facets of the Québécois society. Lastly, the communities surrounding second-generation immigrants are immensely informative as to the construction and the evolution of sense of belonging. As second-generation immigrants recall being asked "Where are you from?", the strategies they mobilize to cultivate inclusion into different communities are telling about the discrimination that they experience. Second-generation immigrants show that they strongly connect to the Montrealer identity and sense of belonging, attachments that are stimulated by the presence of ethnic and cultural diversity in the city. Through the above-mentioned concepts, this thesis shows that identity and sense of belonging are hybrid, fluid and multiple, as they are continuously constructed and evolving alongside everyday interactions.