Categorizations and Appropriations: The Case of Young “Allophone” Immigrants Attending School in France
Young immigrants attending school in France are classified as “allophones,” which implies special educational needs associated with learning French. Introduced as a means of guiding the implementation of public policy, the category has come to be used by secondary school teachers to reify the figure of the foreigner—a process of stigmatization that resonates well beyond the classroom. In response, young immigrants have adopted discursive adaptation strategies, through which they reconcile earlier processes of socialization with the realities of immigration. However, given their more limited access to resources for constructing a narrative identity, these young people tend to reappropriate the “Allophone” category used by their teachers in various ways. Their narratives highlight the diverse impacts of the migration process on identity building, including how it shapes their relationship with life in France.