Enculturation and ethnic identity: the second-generation Malayalee diaspora in Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT

Malayalee immigrants from Kerala, a southern state of India, constitute an ethnic diaspora community in Ontario, Canada. Though Malayalee diaspora is smaller, ccompared to other diasporas in Ontario, including various Indian ethnic diasporas, it is the fastest growing one. The second generation in the Malayalee diaspora is more prone to the host culture by means of acculturation and education. To preserve their own ethnic culture, the Malayalee diasporic communities enculturate their children in multiple ways. The present article explores the process of enculturation of the second-generation Malayalee diaspora happening through family, religion, ethnic organisations, and ethnic clusters. Family is instrumental in the enculturation process for maintaining the ethnic identity of the second-generation Malayalee diaspora by preserving ethnic food, dress, language, values, and other cultural traits. Ethnic associations, ethnic clusters, and religion also make significant efforts to encourage them to maintain ethnic Malayalee identity.

KEYWORDS:

• Enculturation
• Malayalee diaspora
• ethnic identity

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

W. Lijo Lal

W Lijo Lal is currently doing Ph.D. at the Department of Sociology, University of Kerala, India. He made several presentations in national and international conferences. He is a recipient of the MITACS Globalink Research Award in 2023 and was an International Visiting Research Trainee (IVRT) at the Centre for Asian Research, York University Toronto, Canada. Major areas of his interest are Migration, Diaspora, Transnationalism, Cultural Studies, and Sociology of Education. Email: [email protected].

M. S. Jayakumar

M S Jayakumar is Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology and Director, Centre for Diaspora Studies, University of Kerala, India. He has several publications in reputed journals and one book by Routledge. He has made several presentations including those at various rounds of ISA Conferences.