Language use and identity in an ethnically heterogeneous deaf community.

This article examines the linguistic communication practices and identity dynamics of the ethnic Hungarian Deaf minority within the ethnically heterogeneous Deaf community in Oradea, Romania. It highlights how ethnic Hungarian Deaf individuals navigate a complex minority status—being both Deaf and ethnic minority—by employing strategies of linguistic accommodation and translanguaging, primarily adapting to Romanian Sign Language for broader community inclusion while maintaining Hungarian Sign Language within smaller ethnic networks. The research, based on surveys, life course interviews, and participant observation, reveals that the shared Deaf cultural identity often supersedes ethnic divisions, fostering cohesion despite limited institutional support for Hungarian language and culture within the local Deaf Association. The study situates these findings within Social Identity Theory and sociolinguistic frameworks, illustrating how multilingual repertoires and flexible communication practices enable minority Deaf members to preserve their heritage while integrating into the dominant Deaf community.