CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC IDENTITY OF BURYAT, KALMYK, AND MONGOLIAN IMMIGRANTS IN ITALY

Daniele Artoni, Giorgia Pomarolli, Rimma A. Urkhanova

University of Verona, Italy

Abstract

The paper focuses on the definition of linguistic and cultural parameters used to identify the Self among Buryat, Kalmyk, and Mongolian immigrants in the Italian context. After a description of the sociolinguistic features of the three ethnic groups – connected to language policies in the Republic of Buryatia, Republic of Kalmykia, and Mongolia respectively – we outlined analogies and differences between the so-called Russian Mongols and Khalka Mongols, and the status of Mongolian immigrants in Italy. An empirical research was carried out among members of the abovementioned groups via (i) online surveys and (ii) focus groups. Mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis conducted on the collected data demonstrated an overall tendency to identity re-appropriation strategies, such as ethnic activism and learning one’s ethnic language, despite the high rate of translingual subjects among Buryats and Kalmyks.

Keywords: Buryats, Kalmyks, Khalkha Mongols, immigration, cultural and linguistic identity, self-identity, ethnic language, Translingualism

For citation: Artoni Daniele, Pomarolli Giorgia, Urkhanova R.A. Cultural and linguistic identity of Buryat, Kalmyk, and Mongolian immigrants in the Italian context. Sociolinguistics, 2021, no. 1(5) [online], pp. 91–112. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.37892/2713-2951-2021-1-5-91-112