Language and identity among Iranian immigrants in Israel

Abstract

This paper reports on a study that examined patterns of language maintenance and use – standard Persian as well as dozens of dialects spoken by Jews in provincial towns – among three generations of Israeli residents of Iranian origin. Issues of identity, acculturation, and the immigration experience were explored through a language prism as well as in light of Israel’s assimilatory policy, which was predominantly one of ‘Hebrew-only’. The sample included 145 participants from three generations who took part in this qualitative study. All answered open written questions that explored various aspects of language maintenance and immigration, and 34 of them took part in an individual, in-depth, semi-structured interview. Central themes that emerged from the content analysis included close links between emotions and language/dialect issues, clear differences between immigrants from Tehran and those from provincial cities, as well as gender differences. Findings are discussed in light of the relationships between official policy and language maintenance, social and personal implications of language loss, and suggestions for future language policies towards immigrants.

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