The Complex Identities of Latvians Abroad: What Shapes a Migrant’s Sense of Belonging?

Abstract

AbstractBuilding on the data from The Emigrant Communities of Latvia survey, this chapter aims to reveal and describe the complex nature of the sense of geographic and social belonging of those who became emigrants. It will explore the factors affecting the maintenance of their identity and consider transformation processes among migrants. The starting point of this chapter is the assumption that the ‘sense of belonging’ is affected by a variety of different objective and subjective factors, and that identity is multi-faceted. Instead of facing a trade-off between feeling close to the home country or host country, or developing a supranational identity, different combinations of types of a ‘sense of belonging’ can be distinguished among Latvian migrants. Using cluster analysis, the author distinguishes four separate groups of emigrants based on their attitudes and self-identification. Among the findings is that most respondents feel closer to Latvia than their host country. However, people who left Latvia during the years of the Great Recession and its aftermath, and who left for economic reasons, are the most alienated from their home country. Among the factors important in shaping this sense of belonging are subjective life satisfaction and having friends and family back at home.