‘My Grandmother Never Told Me That Before!’

Hmong ethnic minority populations in Vietnam’s northern borderlands have a long history of oral tradition and story-telling. Yet with an historical absence of literacy and no self-created written archives, the first-hand knowledge and experiences of Hmong elders is seldom communicated beyond their kin. At the request of a Hmong community member we developed a collaborative, intergenerational oral history project that would allow stories of Hmong elders to be shared on the internet. Concurrently, we trained Hmong youth in research methods, helping to improve their English skills and contribute to inter-generational knowledge transfer. Drawing on debates regarding collaborative North-South ethnography, positionality and critical reflexivity, and feminist fieldwork approaches, we contemplate our roles as two Global North researchers interacting with Global South ethnic minority youth and elders, and the degree to which we were able to help support the creation of subaltern counter-narratives to Vietnamese state discourses of upland minority histories.’

“Our dance is a celebration of the fabric of modern New Zealand”: Identity, Community, Solidarity and Citizenship at Youth Polyfests in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p>One feature of the growing levels of cultural diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand has been the growth of cultural festivals. These originated primarily for Pacific groups to maintain and sustain cultural performance and traditions, but increasingly such festivals reflect the growing ethnic minority groups present in most of New Zealand’s large urban centres. Specific cultural festivals for school-aged young people are attended by thousands of young New Zealanders annually, yet to date have rarely been a feature of research. This study aimed to explore the role that cultural festivals may play in contributing to the identity, belonging and citizenship experiences of ethnic minority youth growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand. The thesis draws on ethnographic data obtained at three cultural festivals (Polyfests) for school-aged young people in 2018 (ASB Auckland Polyfest, Tu Tagata, Wellington and Northern Regional Polyfest, Porirua). Employing ethnographic participant observation, coupled with approaches drawn from ethnomusicology and dance ethnography, data collection included observation of speeches, public announcements and performances, dance moves and music, as well as on-the-fly discussions with festival performers and analysis of associated media (brochures, media reports, online articles). The festivals performances and their potential to enable spaces of possibility for identity-formation were analysed through Bhabha’s (1996) notion of ‘third-space’. The study drew attention to the way young performers strategically employed fusions of traditional and contemporary music and dance genres within their performances to articulate new ways of seeing themselves. These performances also served to maintain and validate ethnic and school-based identities, as well as to gain status and recognition by creating symbolic representations of the way that performers wished their cultural group to be viewed by audiences. Festival spaces also allowed cultural groups to consolidate homogenous (ethnic) solidarities as well as articulate new ways of seeing themselves as belonging through heterogenous (inter-ethnic) and school-based solidarities. The study underscores the significance of festival spaces as ‘counter-spaces’ in New Zealand society in which ethnic minority youth could experience (and create) identity-affirming, counter-hegemonic experiences outside of the dominant discourses frequently projected on them by White New Zealand.</p>

“Our dance is a celebration of the fabric of modern New Zealand”: Identity, Community, Solidarity and Citizenship at Youth Polyfests in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p>One feature of the growing levels of cultural diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand has been the growth of cultural festivals. These originated primarily for Pacific groups to maintain and sustain cultural performance and traditions, but increasingly such festivals reflect the growing ethnic minority groups present in most of New Zealand’s large urban centres. Specific cultural festivals for school-aged young people are attended by thousands of young New Zealanders annually, yet to date have rarely been a feature of research. This study aimed to explore the role that cultural festivals may play in contributing to the identity, belonging and citizenship experiences of ethnic minority youth growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand. The thesis draws on ethnographic data obtained at three cultural festivals (Polyfests) for school-aged young people in 2018 (ASB Auckland Polyfest, Tu Tagata, Wellington and Northern Regional Polyfest, Porirua). Employing ethnographic participant observation, coupled with approaches drawn from ethnomusicology and dance ethnography, data collection included observation of speeches, public announcements and performances, dance moves and music, as well as on-the-fly discussions with festival performers and analysis of associated media (brochures, media reports, online articles). The festivals performances and their potential to enable spaces of possibility for identity-formation were analysed through Bhabha’s (1996) notion of ‘third-space’. The study drew attention to the way young performers strategically employed fusions of traditional and contemporary music and dance genres within their performances to articulate new ways of seeing themselves. These performances also served to maintain and validate ethnic and school-based identities, as well as to gain status and recognition by creating symbolic representations of the way that performers wished their cultural group to be viewed by audiences. Festival spaces also allowed cultural groups to consolidate homogenous (ethnic) solidarities as well as articulate new ways of seeing themselves as belonging through heterogenous (inter-ethnic) and school-based solidarities. The study underscores the significance of festival spaces as ‘counter-spaces’ in New Zealand society in which ethnic minority youth could experience (and create) identity-affirming, counter-hegemonic experiences outside of the dominant discourses frequently projected on them by White New Zealand.</p>

Do Parental and Peer Support Protect Adjustment in the Face of Ethnic Discrimination? A Comparison between Refugee Youth and Youth of Immigrant Descent

Applying a risk and protection perspective, this study paid special attention to the protective roles of parental and peer support in the face of perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) at school. Responding to the inconsistent findings of previous research, the survey study provides greater clarity regarding the interactions between PED at school, social support and positive adjustment (self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism and school integration). The sample comprised 104 ethnic-minority youth (Mage = 17.73, SD = 3.29, 61% female), including refugee youth (n = 55) and second- and third-generation youth of immigrant descent (n = 49). Structural equation models across the whole sample confirmed peer support as a significant moderator, indicating that ethnic-minority youth who received low peer support were less optimistic when facing PED. In multi-group models, we tested whether results differ across refugee youth and youth of immigrant descent. Results revealed between-group differences concerning the moderating roles of parental and peer support: For youth of immigrant descent, while more PED was associated with lower self-esteem when receiving low parental support, we found a positive association between PED and optimism when receiving high parental support. Based on the findings that refugee youth were shown to be less optimistic when obtaining low peer support, the main interaction effect for peer support on optimism seemed to be driven by refugee youth. The results of our cross-sectional study highlight the importance of identifying specific social support factors for specific adjustment outcomes and also the importance of differentiating between minority groups. Further, the findings offer practical implications for the educational sector in terms of programs focusing on the development of peer-support networks to especially promote refugee youth resilience and resettlement in Germany.

Roma Minority Youth Across Cultural Contexts

This book is about positive youth development (PYD) in Roma ethnic minority youth. Its main distinguishing features are (1) the focus on a large and underrepresented ethnic minority group and (2) a strength-based conception of adolescence (i.e., PYD) that sees all youth as having resources. The book stands apart from current edited books on PYD by focusing on the Roma ethnic minority (one of the most marginalized and oppressed minority groups in Europe) and on strengths and resources for optimal well-being. The international, multidisciplinary, and multisectorial expert contributors to this book address the complexities of Roma life in a variety of cultural settings and explore how key developmental processes and person–context interactions can contribute to optimal and successful adaptation. The conclusions clarify how the PYD of ethnic minority children and youth may be fostered based on the empirical findings reported in this volume. The book draws on core theoretical models of PYD and theories of normative development from the perspective of developmental science to highlight the applicability of these frameworks to Roma groups and nuanced cultural variations in how optimal developmental outcomes maybe come to pass in adolescence. A special focus is on cultural, contextual, and socioeconomic characteristics of Roma to provide a better understanding of what does and what does not contribute to the success of youth particularly in oppressed minority groups.

Actualizing Change with Roma Youth and Their Communities

This chapter summarizes how youth development, sometimes also called positive youth development, is defined and explained in the field of human development. The authors provide illustrations of how the youth development approach has been applied through descriptive and interventional research with non-Roma, ethnic minority youth in various parts of the globe. Lessons learned from the wider intervention evidence base with non-Roma, ethnic minority youth are then explored in relation to future directions and needed advances in intervention research with Roma youth. The chapter ends with a practical consideration of how existing, beneficial youth development interventions designed for youth with other ethnic minority backgrounds might be effectively adapted to improve the lives of Roma youth.

Relations Between Bicultural Attitudes, Paternal Versus Maternal Acceptance, and Psychological Adjustment of Ethnic Minority Youth in Bangladesh

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of perceived paternal and maternal acceptance on the bicultural orientations and psychological adjustment of ethnic-minority young adults in Bangladesh. The study was based on a sample of 412 young adults (mean age 22 years), consisting of 40% women and 60% men from 18 tribal subgroups in Bangladesh. Measures used were Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ), Bicultural Attitude Scale (BAS) and Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). Results showed that there are significant positive correlations between perceived parental (paternal and maternal) acceptance, heritage culture, and psychological adjustment of the respondents. Results further showed that perceived paternal acceptance has independent and stronger effect than perceived maternal acceptance on the bicultural orientations and psychological adjustment of the minority young adults in Bangladesh.

Belongingness and National Belonging among Youth in Hong Kong

This study examined the multiplicative associations of the social categories of ethnicity (Hong Kong Chinese, mainland Chinese, or ethnic minorities), gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) with overall belongingness (to one’s self, personal networks, and society) and national belonging to China among youth (aged 18–24 years) in Hong Kong. Our analysis revealed similar levels of overall belongingness and national belonging among ethnic minority youth relative to Hong Kong Chinese youth. The intersectionality of mainland Chinese female youth determined a higher degree of belongingness compared with their male counterparts and Hong Kong Chinese female youth. Although SES was positively associated with belongingness, it was not significantly associated with national belonging to China. We provided explanations of these patterns and recommends policy strategies to strengthen individual and national belongingness.