Kurdish-Canadian Identity and the Intricacies of Acculturation

Abstract

This paper studies the process of acculturation of the Iraqi Kurdish community in Ontario, Canada. It explores factors such as ethno-cultural identities and the socio-cultural circumstances that impact the adaptation of a dual identity. The study explores components of the Kurdish participants’ ethnic and national identities, such as their self-identification and their sense of belonging and participation in aspects of life. It also elaborates on the ways in which members of the Iraqi Kurdish community in Canada understand and construe their life experiences, and what it means to live as Kurdish immigrants in a multicultural society.