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Being “Both”: Identifications of Second and Third Generation Brussels Muslim Youths towards the Country of Origin and the Country of Residence

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  • Corinne Torrekens

    (Group for Research on Ethnic Relations, Migration & Equality, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Dimokritos Kavadias

    (Political Science Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Nawal Bensaid

    (Group for Research on Ethnic Relations, Migration & Equality, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

Abstract

In Belgium, several incidents and public debates have highlighted ethnocentric conceptions of the nation held by public opinion and prominent politicians where immigrants and particularly Muslims are marked as the unwilling “others”. In this framework, immigrants maintaining ethnic identities and transnational ties is classically seen as weakening their integration in the receiving countries. Based on results drawn from 16 focus group discussions and 50 individual semi-structured interviews conducted in Brussels with youth with a foreign background, we show that while a minority of our respondents still identified themselves primarily in reference to the country of origin of their (grand)parents, emphasizing ethnic boundaries and family heritage, most of them have developed a multiple-identity strategy for themselves, which acknowledges both their ethnic background and their belonging to Belgium and Brussels as a multicultural city. Those involved in upward social mobility strategies through higher education or better secondary schools also have more facilities to express the double-presence narrative.

Suggested Citation

  • Corinne Torrekens & Dimokritos Kavadias & Nawal Bensaid, 2023. "Being “Both”: Identifications of Second and Third Generation Brussels Muslim Youths towards the Country of Origin and the Country of Residence," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:6:p:350-:d:1170192
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Alba & Nancy Foner, 2014. "Comparing Immigrant Integration in North America and Western Europe: How Much Do the Grand Narratives Tell Us?," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48, pages 263-291, September.
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