The Real Young London

Identities are much wider than gender, religion or being a member of a particular family. They extend to countries. That is why refugees confront identity conflicts in the host country. However, they try different ways to adjust themselves to the society in which they find themselves.

In this kind of situation the biggest needs for young people are not sport, music or different kinds of games, but rather the need to identify themselves with other youths who look like them in skin colour or speak a similar language. Haile did the same thing and through that, he began to mix with host country youths. 

When he was in Ethiopia, Haile was friendly, had many friends, and  was never afraid to express himself. However, things were extremely different during his first two years in England.

Haile continues: "During school time I was even scared to eat my lunch. The food which I took to school was my national food. So I felt completely different from others. In classes even though I knew the answers to the questions the teacher asked, I couldn't give the answers because of the language barrier again and the fear of other students laughing at me."

Race, ethnicity, national origin, class and gender play a critical role in identity formation and change in a multicultural society. For most immigrants and refugees coexisting with the host nation's nationals, without losing their identity, is very tough.

To coexist, non-aggression, respect for personal identity and culture and non-interference are very important. However, to think those things as a young person is difficult.

From time to time, Haile Alemayehu started to understand the difference between himself and others and began to integrate with them via different methods. Sport and music play exceptional roles and are a common language to the world.

In his spare time, he started playing different kinds of sports with young people in school. He even began making jokes with them. "They were really nice to me," Haile said. "We play football together and even I began to talk about football and music with them in English. They were surprised by my improvement. Few of them asked me why I was so quiet before. When I told them the whole story, they felt really very sorry for me. But what can I say? That is life."

Immigrants arriving in Italy,GettyImages

Identities are constructed on the basis of various experiences. The last four years have been an excellent experience for Haile, the young boy from Ethiopia, who lives now in east London by himself. He used to live with his family until the age of 18, but now he feels confident because he feels like he can deal with anything, thanks to his experiences.

Immigrants and refugees have long discarded various home country traditions and values and adopted those of the host country. This is also the same of Haile, who did that to adjust to the society and to narrow the identity and cultural differences that confront him.

Haile Alemayehu is studying for A-levels and wants to pursue a career in civil engineering. "I want to accomplish my dream to be a successful civil engineer. To achieve this, I have to work hard. And I know God, my family and my friends are always with me." 

Video & Audio Links

Refugee voices: Mariam from Guinea:
Mariam is an 18-year-old asylum seeker from Guinea, living in London. 24 Apr 2006

Refugee exhibition:
London has always been a magnet for migrants and each wave brings new life to the city. 26 Oct 2006