ABSTRACT
The study of language and ethnic identity among second generation Asians (SGA) is particularly interesting, as their linguistic repertoire often features English the language associated with their ethnic culture, which is termed the heritage language (HL) and a liturgical language associated with religious identity. The analysis also explored authenticity at an intragroup level, namely within the same ethnic group. Conversely, the work of some sociolinguists problematises the role of language as an essential component of ethnic identity. This chapter discusses the importance of phenomena such as authenticity, the language-and-identity ideology and level of proficiency have been largely understated in contemporary research on language and identity. Rampton's work on language crossing appears to reiterate the notion that it is primarily language that enables identification at the expense of other dimensions of identity. The present research explores this notion through reflective accounts from a group of SGA.
