Cittadini di un mondo globale. Perché le seconde generazioni hanno una marcia in più

In contemporary Europe, migrants’ offspring –the so called second generation– represent a very relevant group for their demographic weight, and, for many reasons, a bet at stake for economic competitiveness and social cohesion. After having highlighted the ambiguity of this concept, but also its indispensability for the analysis of the phenomena involving migrants’ children, the article scrutinizes the reasons which make second generation a problematic category, but also a paradigmatic category of the young condition tout court. Then it focuses the attention on the identity issue and on the condition of structural disadvantage of many migrants’ children in Europe. Finally, after having presented some data about Italy, it stresses the factors which can break the vicious circle of disadvantage, but also intercept new opportunities for the European society, generated by their presence.