Identity and Belonging: Moroccan Youth Perspectives on Multicultural Education in the Diaspora

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how the Moroccan diaspora students in Canadian schools experience cultural recognition, difference and belonging within multicultural educational settings. Despite Canada’s long-standing reputation as a multicultural nation that is formally committed to diversity and inclusion, relatively little is known about how students from North Africa and specifically Moroccan backgrounds experience these policies in the schooling system. This study aims to address this critical gap by foregrounding Moroccan diaspora students’ perceptions and lived experiences of multicultural education in Canada, with particular emphasis on how their identities are acknowledged, recognised, and supported within the sociocultural dynamics of the school environment. The sample consisted of eight male and female participants living in Montreal. Data were collected through online semi-structured interviews conducted in accordance with research ethics protocols that ensure confidentiality and anonymity of all responses. Findings reveal that recognition of Moroccan identity is manifested mainly through occasional practices that provide a momentary sense of pride and visibility that do not form part of the curriculum. Although formal equality in learning opportunities is widely acknowledged, curriculum contents engage with visual diversity that marginalize cultural realities, resulting in tokenistic representation. Overall, the study highlights that while commitments to multiculturalism promote institutional equality and respect, more far-reaching forms of recognition and identity validation for Moroccan diaspora students remain partially addressed.