Negotiating two worlds: the voices of young Island Acadians

This qualitative study explores the cultural identity formation of young Prince Edward Island Acadians. A group of francophone Acadians was involved in this study in order to explore the ways in which young people living within this minority context negotiate between the two distinct linguistic and cultural realities in which they live. The participants, aged between fifteen and eighteen, live in the Charlottetown area, a place where English is the language of the majority. They attend the only French first-language school in the city and they speak French at home. A focus group was completed with a group of five participants. Two subsequent individual interviews took place with three randomly chosen focus group participants. The literature review examines certain aspects of Acadian history on PEI through the lens of power relations theories developed by researchers such as Paulo Freire, Jim Cummins, and Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, bringing a critical perspective to the social structures that have silenced Acadians for centuries. The data analysis provides a stark contrast to the dismal experiences of Acadians in the past, as the participants affirm the pride and the conviction they feel for the French language and the Acadian culture.