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Much is known about immigrants' majority language proficiency in the first (immigrant) generation. Less is understood of differences in linguistic shift compared with heritage language retention in subsequent generations. Focusing on Sydney, Australia's largest "EthniCity," we build on Clyne and Kipp's (1999. "Pluricentric Languages in an Immigrant Context." Berlin: de Gruyter) and Chiswick and Miller's (1999. "Immigration, Language and Multiculturalism in Australia." "Australian Economic Review" 32: 369-385) work on variations among non-English speaking background (NESB) immigrant groups in proficiency with or sole use of spoken English in the first generation. We then compare this with an extension of Borjas' (1992. "Ethnic Capital and Intergenerational Mobility." "Quarterly Journal of Economics" 107: 123-150) work on ethnic capital to examine linguistic shift and heritage language retention in the second and third generations. While results show linguistic shift mostly occurring over two or three generations, they also highlight differences among NESB groups, associated with particular cultural backgrounds, holding constant human capital and other socio-demographic factors. They further demonstrate the continuing though equally varied intergenerational importance of contextual (residential concentration) influences on heritage language retention.

Concordant acculturation expectations and preferences between a host society and its immigrants are important for social cohesion. But perceptions of others' attitudes are often distorted, and may extend to intracultural misperceptions about what others in one's own society expect for immigrants. We test whether attitudinal misperceptions operate in the context of host‐members' acculturation expectations of immigrants—preferences about whether newcomers should embrace the majority culture, or maintain their own cultural heritage. Further, we test whether the conservative dimension of right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA‐C) drives both personal acculturation expectations and distortions about what others expect. We surveyed a representative sample of 2,013 Australian citizens about their own acculturation expectations for immigrants and their perceptions of the expectations of the host society in general. People significantly overestimated the extent to which fellow host society members expect immigrants to embrace the host culture, and underestimated expectations that immigrants retain their own culture. Voting behaviour and RWA‐C were related to personal acculturation expectations and to perceptions of host society consensus with their own views (self–other discrepancy). Moreover, personal acculturation expectations mediated the link between RWA‐C and perceived self–other discrepancy. The psychological bases of these misperceptions, and their potential ramifications for immigrants, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we examined what are the markers of immigrant naturalisation as seen from the perspectives of recipient nationals. Social markers are perceptual signposts that receiving nationals use in deciding whether a non-native born is a member of the destination country. In short, what should immigrants do in order to be accepted by receiving nationals as "one of us". Cross national data on 20 indicators of "everyday nationhood" were collected from five countries – Singapore, Japan, Australia, Finland, and Canada. The markers highlight common dispositions, activities, or social norms that are associated with citizenship. Exploratory factor analysis in each sample consistently demonstrated a two-factor structure model that supports the contemporary ethnic-civic distinction, but the markers that make up each of the two dimensions vary between countries. No metric equivalence was found, and that the markers have culture-specific meanings. The framework offers a novel insight to intercultural relations. The results suggest that adaptation and social inclusion need to consider the norms and values practised in the recipient society, and how immigration may redefine intergroup boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate majority‐culture attitudes to multicultural policy in Australia. Drawing on relative deprivation (RD) theory, we explore whether resistance to multicultural policies and initiatives is related to individual and/or group‐based grievance claims of discrimination. To assess RD, we asked 517 Australian‐born people who identified as White Australians to rate (a) levels of discrimination toward their own group, toward themselves personally as a consequence of their group membership, and toward immigrants to Australia, and (b) feelings of injustice and anger associated with such discrimination. Our findings show that, while perceptions of discrimination toward majority‐culture Australians are commonplace, perceptions of discrimination toward immigrants are more so. We also found that higher ratings of group‐based RD of Australians relative to immigrants, but not individual deprivation relative to immigrants, predicted opposition to multicultural policies and initiatives. Moreover, perceived group‐based RD mediated the link between national identification and opposition to multicultural policies. The findings highlight, for the first time, the importance of group‐based grievance claims by majority‐culture members in opposing or supporting multicultural policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between environmental factors and human mobility is neither simple nor linear, rather it is often indirect and mediated by social, cultural, and economic drivers. We present a case that one important and, until recently, neglected factor in the nexus between environmental change and decisions to migrate is attachment to place. We consider how environmental change might enhance or diminish the perceived or experienced benefits or 'liveability' of a place and propose that under certain conditions, a disruption in benefits will be felt as irreversible, will be accompanied by feelings of loss and grief, and will prompt a decision to leave. We identify this as one of four ways in which place attachment is likely to be related to migration in response to environmental change: (1) in constraining the decision to leave, (2) in prompting a decision to leave when the loss becomes intolerable, (3) as a factor in destination choice, and (4) as part of the post-migration experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the discursive construction of Italian identity among a bilingual sample of Italian-born Western Australians. Focus groups were held with two groups: Italians who had migrated to Australia as children and a group who had migrated as adults. We found intra- and inter-individual differences in identity construction, with much discourse devoted to demonstrating Italian authenticity and negotiating ethnic category boundaries. Shared markers of authenticity included language, heritage and food. The groups varied in their selection of referent groups to make authenticity claims, with the child migrants drawing upon the shared Australian stereotype of ‘wogs’ to construct and authenticate their Italian-ness. In contrast, adult migrants constructed Italian identity through comparisons with the dominant Australian ethnic group and in relation to a broader ‘migrant’ identity. The findings highlight the fluid and complex nature of ethnic identity and the need for further exploration of how it is constructed in talk. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]