Second-Generation African Youth in Calgary: Transnational Practices and Perspectives

Abstract

The African population in Canada is growing as a result of Canadian immigration policies from over the last decade. Research has shown that, like many other immigrants, African immigrants in Canada engage in transnationalism (Owusu, 2003), which means they maintain multiple relationships across borders. However, very few studies have focused on second-generation immigrants (Kalu, 2017; Goitom, 2018), also known as “the second generation,” and the studies that have been done on this population have mostly revolved around the issue of their identity formation and integration. There is also a gap in the literature with regards to the relationship between birth order of the second-generation African youth and their transnational ties. This study addresses these gaps in the literature by studying the transnational connections of second-generation Africans in Calgary. The theories of multiculturalism and transnationalism inform the conceptual framework that I have used for this study. Drawing on a qualitative research methodology with a phenomenological approach, I conducted a content analysis on 30 in-depth interviews with second-generation youth (24 females and 6 males) who had sub-Saharan Africa roots and were living in Calgary. The findings indicate that the second-generation African youth engage in six types of transnationalism—sociocultural, economic, political, social-psychological, psychological, and religious—as well as a new type that I have called “intellectual transnationalism.” Also, my research demonstrates that there is a relationship between the birth order of those within the second generation and their transnational connections.