Sitting on the fence: G1.5-ers as gatekeepers at the crossroads of identity, culture, and heritage language maintenance

Research on heritage languages (HLs) has been steadily growing, particularly in the context of language maintenance and shift (LMLS) across three generations, with various social and individual factors proposed to explain variation in language use or proficiency. The current commentary, drawing upon recent studies on HL attitudes and knowledge among Mountain Jews (MJs) in Israel and the US, underscores the crucial importance of the middle-generation (G1.5) in defining heritage speakers (HSs) and understanding the dynamics of HL use and LMLS. G1.5 are individuals who immigrated during late childhood to early adolescence and are therefore caught between their native country and host society. Their identity conflict and role as potential mediators between both cultures and languages for their parents and children lead them to continuously explore their heritage and attitudes while navigating constant socialisation pressures in their current environment. The unique case of MJs, who have spoken endangered Juhuri in the shadow of Russian for the past century, illustrates how G1.5-ers–through their self-rated ethnic/national identities and heritage/societal language competence–shape the cross-generational linguistic trajectory in the immigrant context. This suggests that particular emphasis should be placed on this generational group and their contribution to HL loss or maintenance.