Since the 1990s, Ireland has experienced a significant increase in racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity due, in large part, to immigration. A major cause for immigration in Ireland has been economic growth, although other influences, such as social factors, have played a role, too. Perhaps one of the most visible effects immigration and increased diversity have had on Irish society appears in Ireland’s classrooms. Students from a variety of cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds now attend Irish schools and are beginning to reshape the overall demographics of Irish society. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how a group of four second-generation Nigerian youths born and raised in Ireland make sense of what it means to “be Irish” today. The dissertation is a case study that investigates how the four children—two girls and two boys in the fifth and sixth grades at an Irish primary school—perceive Irish citizenship and national identity, how they learn to be Irish, and how they express their Irish identities as youths of color. This dissertation’s research questions and methodological approach are rooted in two frameworks: Ogbu’s (1998) classification of minority groups, and Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theory of legitimate peripheral participation. The dissertation draws on five main data sources: 1) one-on-one interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators; 2) focus group interviews with students; 3) school observations; 4) school curricular materials; and 5) student schoolwork. Although there is a growing body of literature regarding diversity and schooling in the Republic of Ireland, there is a significant need for additional research to investigate the beliefs of students from diverse racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds in Irish schools, and how these students make sense of their identities as Irish citizens. This dissertation aims to help fill this gap and to inform policymakers, educators, and others in the Republic of Ireland to think more deeply about the way Irish schools are preparing all students for active citizenship, and how these schools can more precisely mirror the changing demographics in Irish society.The dissertation concludes that the four second-generation Nigerian students in Ireland developed racialized perceptions of what it means to be Irish based on their experiences of racism and other forms of discrimination they encountered both inside and outside school. As a result, the students often felt excluded from social groups. In addition, although the four students were born in Ireland, identified as Irish (to varying degrees), and were legal Irish citizens, the children claimed that they felt not fully Irish because of how they were treated. However, despite these challenging circumstances, the children demonstrated resilience as they accessed different forms of cultural capital in creative ways that allowed them to express their Irish identities. Ultimately, the students’ ingenuity helped them carve out a place for themselves as youths of color in Irish society. This dissertation’s findings enhance understanding about the way youths circumnavigate social challenges to create opportunities, as well as how second-generation youths develop conceptions of citizenship and national identity as active social agents in the world.
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