Maurizio Ambrosini , university of Milan, editor of the journal “Mondi migranti”

1. Second generations. Challenges, paths, resources of young people of immigrant origin Maurizio Ambrosini, universityof Milan, editorof the journal “Mondi migranti”

2. Children of immigrants. Why are they a crucial issue? Children of immigrants: why are we so interested in their social integration? The issue of citizenship: the identity of the nation and the social order the perception of social change and the anxiety of assimilation

3. The different profiles of the population concerned: children born here, reunited at various ages, left behind, children of mixed unions…. Today minors and young people of immigrant origin living in Italy are more than one million. more than half of them were born in Italy Who and how many are?

4. Some Italian peculiarities • The issue of citizenship • Low knowledge of Italian language in the world • Recent beginning of the process • Precariousness of living and housing conditions • Fluidity and unpredictability of the arrivals • Subordinate integration and its consequences

5. Between assimilation and discrimination • Two big orientations: 1) Studies on attitudes and behaviours: the long wave of assimilation 2) Studies on outcomes: discrimination and its consequences • The right to be similar and the right to be different

6. Cultural assimilation and economic integration

7. Intermediary structures: migrant families • Reversal reunions and non conventional families (broken, single parents families, step-families) • Research of new balances and transmission of identity • Family as a dynamic space and a site of negotiation • The relationship with the ethnic community and the issue of respect • The reversed perception of gender issues

8. A research study on adolescents and families (Ismu-Caritas, 2009)

9. Intermediary structures: religious institutions • Immigrants’ religious institutions as sites where cultural identity can be saved and education of children can be better managed • Religious institutions as sites of selective integration • The three R of religions: refuge, respect, resource • A parallel process: conversions as a way of integration • Muslims in Europe: are they a different case?

10. Intermediary institutions: immigrant communities • Adolescents newly arrived as a group at risk • Socialization of adolescents with similar people: the issue of the language, intimate communication and the perception of external society

11. Street gang? • The research on the so called “street gang”: the substitution of the family and the research of support • Sociability and mutual help • From exclusion to pride: the reversal of the stigma • Experiences on the edge

12. Because it transforms temporary immigrations into permanent settlements Because it challenges the pattern of subordinate integration Because it challenges the (asserted) ethnic homogeneity of receiving countries Because it challenges the foundations of national identity: it demands to talk of it looking at the future and not at the past Why the issue is important