Children of Asylum Seekers and Migrant Workers in Israel: Language and Identity Dilemmas

This chapter describes an ethnographic case study conducted over a year in a school in Israel attended by children of refugees and migrant workers from close to fifty different countries, focusing on a third-grade class. Israel’s education system seeks to socialize these children into Israeli culture and help them learn Hebrew, while the legal system enacts statutes enabling their deportation. Given the close association of language with identity and emotional interactions, it was chosen as a lens for exploring the children’s paradoxical reality, asking how are their life experiences reflected in their perception and use of languages? Data was collected via participatory observations, and systematic documentation of the children’s learning activities and language development. Several categories emerged in the analysis, suggesting complex interactions between language and education, emotional aspects, and family relations. Findings are discussed in light of critical theories, dispelling the dichotomous perception of education as serving either the individual or the society. Further recommendations suggest broadening the scope of languages these children learn and encouraging language maintenance in order to promote the children’s development and well-being.