How are teenaged children of immigrants in the global cities of New York City and London assimilating culturally, and what does cultural assimilation even mean in the multiethnic neighborhoods of New York and London? Previous studies of immigrant assimilation have focused on political, economic, and social assimilation, as well as education and ethnic identity. However, no major study has emphasized the process of cultural assimilation for immigrant second generation youth, which is the focus of this dissertation. This dissertation has three components, all related to cultural assimilation. First, it looks at which aspects of the second generation's culture-consumption, attitudes toward education, modes of behavior, and beliefs-are linked to ethnicity. This project questions the common assumption that culture is always ethnicity-linked, by empirically looking at teenagers' cultural choices and behaviors. Second, this dissertation asks whether the local context matters significantly in shaping the cultural assimilation process for second generation youth, or if the globalization of youth culture has made youth in London and New York more similar than different. In other words, which aspects of culture are more local, more global, and more ethnicity-based? Finally, this dissertation research examines the cultural repertoires from which youth draw and the meanings their cultural expressions have for them. In order to answer these questions about second generation immigrant youth culture, I will conduct ethnographic research in two multiethnic secondary schools-one in London and one in New York City. I will conduct 20 interviews each with second generation Afro-Caribbean, second generation Indian, and native White students in each school. Finally, I will ask 100 students to complete surveys in each school. Thus I plan to obtain a total of 120 in-depth interviews, 200 surveys, and two school ethnographies-half in London and half in New York City. This project's broader impacts include the following: The research has implications for developing models of schooling and teacher training that can best serve children in multi-ethnic environments, which are increasingly prevalent. The project will provide teachers, parents, and policymakers greater understanding of youth culture and its relationship with how children engage with school by providing insights into such questions as: What is the relationship between a teenager's style and his/her attitudes toward education? How should cultural styles be understood by schools and teachers? What cultural scripts or behaviors, if any, might be causing certain groups (Afro-Caribbeans in the UK, African Americans in the US, boys in both countries) to underachieve, and to what extent do which cultural assumptions of teachers and administrators contribute to that underachievement? What cultural tools could be taught to underachieving groups to improve their academic achievement, and what types of professional development will help teachers help students? The individual school research sites will benefit from learning how their students think about their cultural identities, especially their attitudes toward education, feelings about success, and skills for achievement.
