Speaking to Belong: Identity Representations and Code-Switching among Young Franco-Algerians on TikTok

Abstract This study explores the role of code-switching in the identity construction of Franco-Algerian youth on TikTok, through a qualitative content analysis combined with a questionnaire survey. The corpus, composed of fifty videos created by Franco-Algerian users, reveals a high frequency of code-switching, mainly in its intra-sentential form, used in a spontaneous and routine manner. The analysis shows that this practice functions as a “we-code”, marking diasporic community belonging and reinforcing intra-group ties. These findings are supported by the questionnaire results, which show that the majority of respondents associate the use of both French and Arabic with identity affirmation and a sense of cultural pride. Moreover, the videos frequently include multimodal elements (symbols, music, hashtags) that contribute to the performance of this hybrid identity. Overall, the results highlight that TikTok constitutes a key space of reappropriation and visibility, where Franco-Algerian youth transform a minoritized language in the public sphere into a legitimate resource for self-stylization and community valorization.