Anglophone marriage-migrants in Southern Europe: a study of expat nationalism and integration dynamics

Abstract

Today marriage-migration remains the dominant form of naturalization in Italy and Greece, even for women from such high-income countries as the USA. Pilot studies of intra-OECD female migrants to Southern Europe show that the majority of them marry local men, consider their matrimony a mistake and feel isolated. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive knowledge about dynamics of their socio-cultural integration or expat nationalism (although scholarship generally acknowledges a strong relationship between these two processes). Based on narrative-biographic interviews with sixty Anglophone female expatriates married to Italian and Greek men, our study explores the women's negotiation of culture within the context of their Italian and Greek families, and looks at emerging challenges for their integration. We show that these women are nationalistic and culturally-stringent actors, who often find it extremely difficult to fully learn and integrate to the new cultures of Southern Europe.

Transatlantic repatriation: Stigma management of second-generation Italian and Greek American women ‘returning home’

“…However, such previous knowledge of the country did not prevent them from the difficulties of settlement and also from stigmatization. Our findings and many other studies confirm that such brief visits are akin to tourism, during which the person has a very limited perception of the country, while virtual communication strongly contributes to romanticized versions of ‘ancestral homeland’ (Isaakyan and Triandafyllidou, 2014; Rappoport and Lomsky-Feder 2008; Rumyantsev, 2012).…”

“…Studies on return migration confirm that female returnees are often subjected to stigmatization in their ‘ancestral homes’ (Isaakyan and Triandafyllidou 2014; Kubal, 2012; Rumyantsev, 2012). In a broader sociological interpretation offered by Jones (1984) and widely used by sociologists, stigma is ‘a mark that links a person to undesired characteristics’.…”

“…It is also a well-known fact that Italians and Greeks are visible diasporas in the United States noted for their strong in-group solidarity, devotion to ethnic cultural traditions and – especially in relation to second-generation women – gender-biased ideology of ‘home-return’ (Callinicos, 1991; Christou and King, 2011; Trundle, 2014). At the same time, the ‘ancestral home’ countries of Italy and Greece have predominantly unchallenged structures of patriarchy, especially in rural areas with clear cases of gender-based stigmatization of immigrant women as ‘immoral’ or too ‘emancipated’ (Isaakyan and Triandafyllidou, 2014; Christou and King, 2011; Trundle, 2014). Apart from the pioneering studies conducted by King and Christou, there has been by now no in-depth research on second-generation repatriated women in these two countries, who choose to live in a homeland they never knew other than from family narratives.…”

Skill Levels as a Political Resource: Political Practices of Recent Migrants in Switzerland

“…We are not saying that people who were not active before migration would remain politically inactive in a new setting; rather, we postulate that experiences of migration could motivate some people to adopt new roles. The cause could be unfair working conditions, as in the case of many Latino migrants in London (Però 2008), which pushed them to organize, or assuming a new role as an accompanying spouse with more time for public involvement (Fechter 2016;Isaakyan and Triandafyllidou 2014;Trundle 2014). Finally, the possibilities to use individual resources nonetheless depend upon differential opportunities that are linked to cultural notions of belonging and to the attached predispositions for considering migrants' rights and obligations.…”

Reflections on diaspora and soft power: community building among female US expats in Southern Europe

“…Although Italy and Greece remain America's strong transatlantic partners, Greece has been characterised by a high level of the post-World War II anti-Americanism, which stands in contrast with the Italian public opinion (Ambrosini 2011;Stavridis 2007;Stefanidis 2007). An important detail is that both countries have stable systems of patriarchy, with the marginalization of female immigrants on the job market and in the household (Isaakyan & Triandafyllidou 2014).…”