Who am I when a part of me is elsewhere? Narratives of Transnational Homes and Multicultural Identities Among Black Canadian Youth

Abstract

Drawing on ‘transnational homemaking’ and a qualitative research method, this paper explores how second-generation Black Canadian youth in Canada make sense of their multiple ‘home(s)’, Canada and the country of origin, and establish an empowering multicultural identity in the context of transnationalism. The findings demonstrate that the youth negotiate their multicultural identities in multiple, often distinct, cultural worlds. In this process, families and the ethnic community serve an important role in preserving culture and facilitating transnational attachments, as well as in helping youth challenge local and global inequities. This has been shown to cultivate belonging within and across borders, foster a sense of ‘home,’ and strengthen youths’ multicultural identity. This paper thus offers a better understanding of how transnational homes can be valuable sites of multicultural identity formation.