Language, Identity, and Belonging Immigrant Experiences in the St. Andrews Taxi Industry

Abstract

Through the experiences of two immigrant taxi drivers, Malik and Pranab, this ethnography seeks to better understand the intersection between language, immigration, and identity. Using methods of participant observation and interviews, the study reveals how language operates as both a tool for connection and a source of exclusion. Both drivers face racism and xenophobia, but their responses differ based on their relationship to the language. Drawing on Benedict Anderson’s Imagined Communities, the paper argues that despite legal citizenship, immigrants face a second-class status shaped by language, cultural assimilation, and public perception.