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Cultural Identity and Hybridity in “Different Spaces”: Recent CULTURAL IDENTITY AND HYBRIDITY IN “DIFFERENT SPACES”: RECENT IMMIGRANT STUDENTS NEGOTIATING SETTLEMENT AND UNIVERSITY IN ONTARIO, CANADA by Paula Kaye DaCosta A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Paula Kaye DaCosta 2018 CULTURAL IDENTITY AND HYBRIDITY IN “DIFFERENT SPACES”: RECENT IMMIGRANT STUDENTS NEGOTIATING SETTLEMENT AND UNIVERSITY IN ONTARIO, CANADA Paula Kaye DaCosta Doctor of Philosophy Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2018 Abstract This qualitative research explores cultural identity construction among recent immigrant students from Jamaica who live and attend universities in Ontario, Canada. It focuses on the experiences of identity construction when migration, settlement and university participation are considered. The research approached the complexities in the immigrant student identity through a hybrid conceptual lens. Through semi-structured interviews of 14 undergraduate students in universities in Ontario, multiple dimensions of identity and intersectional considerations were elucidated. The combined use of hermeneutic (interpretative) phenomenology with a critical component allowed for exploration of cultural identities as living with and through difference, by hybridity. Participants’ experiences of growing up in Jamaica, moving to Ontario and attending university were the general themes within which issues of social class, skin colour, language, race, nation of origin, stereotypes and discrimination were discussed. The findings suggest that participants construct their cultural identities through the intervening influences of parents, peers of similar cultural orientations, language, discourses of difference, nation of origin and aspirations. Of significance is the salience assigned to social class identification and its relation to speech and skin color in the origin country. Social class was not assigned the same meanings in the receiving ii nation. Participants maintained their nation of origin identification in Ontario, despite encounters of stigmatization and discrimination. This research finds evidence to suggest both resistance to essentialist views of Jamaicans and beliefs in an essence of Jamaican-ness. The study concludes that students’ interactions in and outside of university are complexly negotiated and thus, their identities are multiply constructed. The study makes recommendations for partnerships among policy makers, universities, and settlement agencies to provide appropriate resources to assist recent immigrant students in their educational journey. iii Acknowledgements A doctoral journey is simultaneously full of wonder and apprehension. It is a journey that cannot be taken alone. Much like building a house, there are so many considerations that go into composing one’s dissertation, and, while some things go according to plan, other things go awry. Throughout this journey I was constantly reminded that it is God, the Master Builder, who gives vision and that this accomplishment was only possible through Him. I am mindful of the significant roles played by my thesis supervisor and committee who guided me through this process. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Nina Bascia, my thesis supervisor, who has contributed to my growth as a researcher by engaging me in two important projects over the course of my studies. I am grateful to her for stepping in to undertake the supervision of my thesis at a critical point in my journey and for always being understanding of my anxieties about writing. I am grateful to Dr. Linda Muzzin who introduced me to writing as inquiry and has always treated me like an expert in my field. Her penchant for details has been helpful in guiding the revisions of my drafts. I am thankful to Dr. Ruth Childs for her intuition, forthrightness, and for providing me with insightful feedback. I acknowledge with sincere gratitude Dr. Tony Chambers who encouraged me to think about my family and studies as integrative rather than a balancing act. He helped to convince me that the research I chose to pursue was worth undertaking and he supported me along my journey as best he could. I will always be grateful for his support. I am deeply appreciative of the contributions of the fourteen participants in my study. They gave me their time and entrusted me with their stories. They willingly opened their lives and invited me to participate in their experiences. I will be forever grateful. I am thankful as well for the courtesies extended to me by the institutions at which I collected data. iv I am grateful to the examiners of my thesis—Dr. Mary Alfred, Dr. Jamie Magnusson, and Dr. Stephanie Waterman for constructive feedback and insights for future research. Thank you for lending your time and expertise in the culminating stages of my doctoral journey. I want to acknowledge the help of some “unexpected friends” who made the journey worthwhile. I am grateful to Angel who mentored and encouraged me from orientation to defense; Everton, for assistance in the recruiting process; Jackie, Amal, Berivan and Ayman for light moments and good conversations; Karen Dinsdale and Joanne Bedasie—"Jills of all trades”—who had ready advice and helpful hands; Karolina who helped me navigate some of my challenges; and Joanne Bacon, the first administrator with whom I interacted at OISE and who continues to take an interest in my progress. I am indebted to OISE, University of Toronto, for the funding packages, grants and assistantships that provided some financial security for the duration of my studies. My sincere thanks to members of my church family for prayerful support and words of encouragement. Last, but by no means least, I thank all members of my family—immediate and extended—who have never ceased to believe that I could do this work. I am especially grateful to my father who never failed to check on my progress and remind me that “with God all things are possible”; my sisters, Sharon and Colleen, whose support was unwavering from start to finish and who always believed that I can conquer the world; my “bestie” Gloria; and my children— Matthew, Jaidon, and Deshawn—who prayed constantly for me and are thrilled that I am finally finished. I reserve my final expression of thanks for my husband, Raymond, to whom I am profoundly grateful. He has walked in-step with me through the years, understanding the unspoken terrors of my heart at every point in my PhD journey, listening to my ramblings about my work, praying with and for me, laying a hand of reassurance on my head to encourage me v when he sensed I was having a difficult time and constantly reminding me that I would be fine. I look forward to what the Lord has in store for us. I end this acknowledgement with a dedication of this work to the woman who taught me to “dare to be different”—my mother, Essie. I thought about you through the thrills and the trials of this doctoral journey. I miss you and I wish that you were here to witness this achievement and celebrate this moment. vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xiii List of Appendices ....................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 My position ......................................................................................................................... 3 Background ............................................................................................................................... 4 Research questions .............................................................................................................. 7 Significance of the study ..................................................................................................... 8 Definition of terms ............................................................................................................ 10 Road map of the thesis ........................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 15 Organization of literature review ......................................................................................... 16 Contextual Review: Historical Trends ................................................................................. 16 Jamaica: A country of encounters ................................................................................. 16 Caribbean/Jamaican cultural identity .......................................................................... 18 Creolization in Jamaica’s language
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