Children of Brazilian migrant families as Portuguese-speaking students in Toronto: Class matters

Abstract Children of Brazilian migrant families in Toronto may be indiscriminately identified as Portuguese-speaking students, an expression used by local school districts mainly in reference to Portuguese-Canadians displaying poor academic achievement. Interviews with students of Brazilian origin who attend schools in one same large School District and their families show, however, different socioeconomic profiles, as indicated by the regions of residence and the occupations of parents, and contrasting language ideologies. Samples of the interviewees' discourse in each profile about the value of speaking Portuguese reveal signs that unskilled migrants are closer to the Portuguese-speaking ethnoclass. The choice to avoid speaking Portuguese by a student in this profile with high academic aspirations reinforces the understanding of various perspectives of what it is to be a Portuguese-speaking student in Toronto. The study reinforces the relevance of social class for contemporary language studies, and contributes to a nuanced characterization of international migrant groups.

摘要 多伦多的巴西移民家庭子女可能被不加区分地归类为葡语学生——当地学区多使用这一表述指代学业表现不佳的葡萄牙裔加拿大人。然而，对就读于同一大型学区的巴西籍学生及其家庭的访谈显示，从居住区域、父母职业等维度来看，他们的社会经济特征存在显著差异，且语言意识形态也截然不同。不同群体受访者关于掌握葡语价值的话语样本显示，非技术移民更贴近讲葡语的族群阶级。有较高学业抱负的该群体学生选择回避使用葡语，这一选择进一步深化了人们对多伦多"葡语学生"这一身份多元面向的认知。本研究凸显了社会阶级在当代语言研究中的重要价值，同时为精准刻画国际移民群体的特征提供了更为细致的视角。