Deafness and Ethnicity: Taking Identity, Language, and Culture Into Account

Deaf education professionals are regularly challenged by the linguistic and cultural diversity of deaf youth. The present article focuses on how young deaf people residing in France who are migrants or the children of migrants define themselves, and how parents and professionals perceive their linguistic and cultural diversity. The theoretical frameworks of interactionism and intersectionality were both used to analyze deafness and ethnicity. Qualitative data were collected in French schools through interviews with different members of the school community: students, parents, and professionals. The results show that deafness prevails over ethnicity in regard to self-identification, even if linguistic and cultural diversity can also be taken into account in an inclusive education.