Plurilingual identities of young women of Moroccan descent in Zaragoza (Spain)

This paper aims to describe how language and identity intertwine in the discourse of eight women of Moroccan descent living in Zaragoza (Spain) through the analysis of individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group. Considering the intersection of their gender, their origin, and their “descendant” status, as well as their bond to religion, the analysis will focus on their conception of their plural linguistic repertoire as a mirror of their plural identity, especially regarding their attitudes toward their heritage language and the dominant language in the context they live in. Some tensions will also be presented between their identity expression and the categorizations which they are subjected to, and focus will be placed on their adherence to what can be called a bi/plurilingual identity, as well as on the influence of their gendered identity in these feelings of belonging and their expression.