Migrant identities in multilingual contexts: Nigerian migrants’ language use in public spaces in Cape Town

ABSTRACT

The study investigates language use and identity navigation among Nigerian migrants with a focus on language use in public and social spaces in Cape Town, South Africa. It reports on ethnographic observation, participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal the use of spoken Igbo and isiXhosa in interactions among primarily Igbo, Nigerian migrants, as well as how the migrants draw on their newly acquired (and often relatively limited) knowledge of isiXhosa in interactions and for economic exchanges. Key themes include language learning (primarily of isiXhosa), codeswitching, and Igbo neologisms as well as speech stylisation. In the suburbs, menus and signs in restaurants are written in a range of languages, including Igbo, isiXhosa, and English. While the use of Igbo expresses and affirms their Nigerian identity, isiXhosa is used to avoid identification as ‘foreigners’ against a backdrop of xenophobic violence. The strategies underscore the challenges of navigating economic and social pressures in a society saturated with codes, whilst also maintaining the language of ‘home’. The study provides original insights into the factors affecting African language use in public spaces by an often-overlooked group

KEYWORDS:

• Language use
• identities
• public spaces
• migration
• multilingualism

Acknowledgement

The data for this study were gathered in the course of the first author’s tenure as a postdoctoral research fellow with the South African Research Chair initiative (SARCHI) on migration, language and social change in the Linguistics section of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, with a grant number of 64805. We gratefully acknowledge the support of this funder. Thanks go to two anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments and feedback on an earlier version of the paper, as well as the editors of the special issue for their input. Thanks go also to the participants, interviewees and community members who participated in the research and shared their time, views and experiences with us. We are also grateful to Sanele Ndongile who worked as a research assistant with the first author. Any errors naturally remain our own.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We used the term shebeen to refer to drinking establishments ‘usually in a private home in a township, where liquor is sold or consumed’ (Silva 1996).

2 As pointed out by a reviewer, the word bantu ‘people’ here can also be analysed as a vocative form.