Abstract
This study examined the relationship between attachment style, mother tongue (L1) and dominant language (DL) proficiency, sociocultural identification with the culture of origin, and life satisfaction amongst second-generation and third-generation South Asian immigrants in Hong Kong. Participants included 69 women and 28 men who were permanent residents of South Asian ethnicity, and who had grown up in Hong Kong. The results identified significant associations between attachment insecurity and L1 and DL proficiency, as well as commitment to the origin culture. There was a positive association between life satisfaction and commitment levels to origin culture, indicating that high commitment levels to origin culture tend to coexist with high life satisfaction. This study adds to the existing literature with a focus on language skills, attachment and acculturation in immigrant populations.
Highlights
Immigration is a global phenomenon that involves major changes in immigrants’ and future generations’ lives
This study aims to explore the relationship between attachment style, mother tongue (L1) and dominant language (DL) proficiency, sociocultural identification with the culture of origin, and life satisfaction amongst second-generation and third- generation South Asian immigrants in Hong Kong
With a focus on South Asian immigrants in Hong Kong, the purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the relationship between attachment style, L1 and DL proficiency, life satisfaction and sociocultural identity in second-generation and third-generation South Asian immigrants in Hong Kong
Summary
Immigration is a global phenomenon that involves major changes in immigrants’ and future generations’ lives. Previous research has indicated that bilinguals and multilinguals report different emotions and behaviour when speaking different languages, acculturating into host cultures (Dewaele et al, 2020; Hammer, 2016; Panicacci & Dewaele, 2017), but little has been done to understand whether different attachment styles interact with language use and social identity amongst immigrants. Hong Kong has been a home for South Asian immigrants since the early 19th Century during British occupancy, yet immigrant communities still report feeling acculturative stress and confusion over their ethnic identities (Tonsing, Tse, & Tonsing, 2016). This study aims to explore the relationship between attachment style, mother tongue (L1) and dominant language (DL) proficiency, sociocultural identification with the culture of origin, and life satisfaction amongst second-generation and third- generation South Asian immigrants in Hong Kong
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