Kurdish Language Class in New York

Every country that encompasses Kurdistan faces extermination efforts, meaning that the Kurdish language has found refuge mainly in exile and has been associated increasingly with the Kurdish identity and with the political struggle of the Kurdish people. The present study looks at a very special cas...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Archanjo, Renata, Arpacik, Demet
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:158721
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/158721
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/jtl3.676
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Kurdish
Diaspora
Agency
Language class
Identity
Kurdî
Henderan
Livbazî
Dersa zimanê
Aîdiyetî
Descripción
Sumario:Every country that encompasses Kurdistan faces extermination efforts, meaning that the Kurdish language has found refuge mainly in exile and has been associated increasingly with the Kurdish identity and with the political struggle of the Kurdish people. The present study looks at a very special case; a voluntarily-initiated Kurdish language class that takes place in the middle of Manhattan, New York, at a prestigious public university. We conducted interviews with 3 students and the teacher of the class to understand the dynamics within and beyond the Kurdish language class, the interplay of their political ideologies, as well as the intricate process of identity negotiation through language practices. Results indicate that through the language class, people are exercising the right to a language, the right to a culture and the right of a people. Participants are challenging and resisting established relations of power and transforming the educational space into a space of freedom.