Home is where the heart is: About multiple identifications of first and second generation migrants in Leiden.

Abstract

The idea of citizenship as a collective, national identity has become the norm in the Netherlands. However, the importance of a nation-state and the loyalty that comes with citizenship is challenged when we think about the identifications of migrants with their country of origin and their place of residence. This is especially relevant when discussing the idea that second generation migrants are perceived to build up their lives in the Netherlands and as such they are considered citizens loyal to the Netherlands only. Therefore this research focuses on first and second generation African migrants who live in the city of Leiden and asks how they create feelings of belonging towards their (parents) country of origin, the Netherlands and Leiden. Two frameworks are central in this thesis: 1) the loyalty to different nation-states (the relation between a transnational and a national collective identity is discussed); 2) the relation between identification with Leiden and with the Netherlands. The aim is to gain understanding how first and second generation migrants maneuver between multiple identifications. Discussing these frameworks shows how the feelings of belonging of first and second generation migrants are constructed and how these differ from or bear resemblance to each other.