The Experiences of Homelessness among First and Second Generation South Asian Youth: Does Culture Matter?

The successful settlement of first and second generation youth in Canada is vital to Canada’s ethnic dynamism. In spite of this, youth are sometimes wedged between two cultural worlds and two opposing sets of expectations. With the rise of transnational communities, scholars have recently started to research intergenerational conflict between first and second generation youth and their parents. This area of research is just starting to connect with issues of precarious living among newcomer youth. The purpose of this paper is to look at the experiences of homeless South Asian youth to examine whether cultural conflict has facilitated their precarious living situation. Using a qualitative approach, three interviews were conducted with South Asian youth. The youth were residing in shelters at the time of the interviews. The interviews revealed that cultural clash within the family can trigger their precarious life and their use of the shelter system.