As a young Slovenian immigrant, growing up in 21st century Aotearoa, I experienced first-hand that being a bilingual individual in a predominantly monolingual society can be extremely challenging and confusing.

A place where you belong explores the concept of bilingualism and the effect it has on cultural identities of young bilingual individuals.  Nowadays, bilingualism is much more common than people may think. Approximately 43 percent of the world’s population is actually bilingual. However, in a country as small as New Zealand, those statistics are almost halved. Individuals from different cultures often feel as though they have to conform to the ‘normal’ culture that is dominant in New Zealand society in order to ‘fit in’.

A place where you belong is designed to be a conversation starter. It’s a publication curated to display and share the stories of bilingual individuals living in Aotearoa. It provides them with the opportunity to connect with others who have shared similar experiences and in the process creates a bilingual community where everyone feels accepted. The publication highlights both the negative and positive parts of being a bilingual, but ultimately A place where you belong is designed to encourage young people to embrace their cultural heritage with pride.