ABSTRACT

New Zealand hosts a growing number of immigrants who contribute to the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country. These diverse ethnic communities have also significantly shaped the religious landscape of the country and contributed to the creation of churches, temples, and mosques in which the respective ethnic languages often continue to be used. Religious identification is widespread among parts of the immigrant population. While almost half of all European New Zealanders reported that they had no religion, 83% of those who identified as Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African were religious (Census, 2013a). Religious institutions have the potential to provide a space for upholding the migrants’ cultures and languages, and to foster identification. Although the link may not be straightforward, these strong means of community cohesion undoubtedly affect the ways in which family members construct their home language policy.