Mapping multilingualism: the dynamics of identity shifts in multi-ethnic tourism destinations

This empirical study investigates identity shifts in multiethnic tourism destinations from a sociolinguistic perspective, focusing on changes in the socio-spatial distribution of commodified linguistic landscapes (LL) in Berlin’s Neukölln and Tokyo’s Shin-Ōkubo. Using mixed methods – photographic documentation, content analysis, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, and semi-structured interviews – the study finds that Neukölln’s central street, Sonnenallee, is gradually shifting from ‘Turkish Street’ to ‘Arab Street’ due to an increase in spatially cohesive LL. In Shin-Ōkubo, a rise in Chinese LL challenges its historic ‘Koreatown’ status, though the emergence of a ‘Chinatown’ is limited by the lack of spatial cohesion and competition from other languages. The study concludes that the extent of the spatial cohesion of LL and ethnic ties underlies urban identity shifts in multiethnic destinations across different regions and cultures. Thus, regular LL assessments are vital to understand the dynamics of evolving ethnic groups and their identities at such destinations.