Contesting Kurdish Identities in Sweden

Region of Origin: Settlement Decisions of Turkish and Iranian Immigrants in Sweden, 1968–2001

“…The results corroborate previous results in the literature showing that the strong ethnic and religious identities dividing groups in the country of origin continue to manifest themselves amongst immigrants in the host country. Accordingly, we argue that the results are reflecting ethnic preferences, because region of origin corresponds to the ethnic clustering in both sending countries (Baser, ; Bozorgmehr, ; Eliassi, ; Gaunt, ; Light et al, ; Westin, ).…”

“…As suggested in the literature, the pre‐migration dynamics between majority and minority populations tend to manifest themselves in the destination country. This paradigm has been observed, mainly in qualitative studies, amongst Turkish and Iranian immigrants in several receiving countries, although the extent to which these dynamics physically divide individuals is less certain (Baser, ; Bozorgmehr, ; Demir, ; DiCarlo, ; Eliassi, ; Gaunt, ; Light et al, ). Most importantly, however, regional clustering along ethnic, linguistic, and religious lines clearly exists within Turkey and Iran.…”

“…In Turkey, there have been conflicts between the ethnic Turks on one side, and Kurds and Assyrians on the other; likewise, the relations between Kurds and Assyrians have not been peaceful. Throughout Turkish history, there have been many attempts by the government to stifle the Kurdish and Assyrian movements to promote a homogenous nationalist identity, and, as a result, neither ethnic group has been administratively recognised (Demir, ; Eliassi, ; Gaunt, ; Öktem, ).…”

“…For example, Kurdish and Assyrian immigrants have regulated their social and formal networks to include those with similar identities, as well as engaged in political activism for formal recognition by the Turkish state (see e.g. Baser, ; Demir, ; DiCarlo, ; Eliassi, ; Gaunt, ).…”

The imaginary Kurdish museum: Ordinary Kurds, narrative nationalisms and collective memory

“…Kurdish diaspora groups also have intensified their activities to gather oral histories in recent years, aiming to publicise accounts that shape collective and communal memories (Demir, 2012;Eccarius-Kelly, 2011: 86-88). Several scholarly studies explored diaspora Kurdish narratives and the ways in which they influence multiple generations in the Kurdish diaspora (Baser, 2013;Eliassi, 2013;Demir, 2012;Guyot, 2011;Soytürk, 2010). Soytürk published ethnographic work related to Alevi and Kurdish families who originated from Dersim but live in France.…”