Emotional Integration across Immigrant Generations in Baden‐Württemberg, Germany: the Role of Discrimination

Abstract

Immigrants’ integration is a multi‐faceted process, involving structural, cultural, social, and emotional dimensions. This study focuses on the emotional dimension of integration, investigating immigrants’ emotional attachments to their national origin and their host country. Specifically, we ask what role perceived discrimination plays in shaping identification preferences among immigrants and immigrant descendants in Germany. The contribution of this study is twofold: First, we present results for three generations of post‐WWII labour migrants of Turkish and Italian descent. Second, we estimate the consequences of perceived individual discrimination for national and ethnic identification separately. The findings indicate that while discrimination is not related to ethnic identification, it is negatively correlated with national identification. Regarding future challenges, we believe that our findings suggest that the German society can come closer to achieving integration of migrants by reducing perceptions of rejection by the immigrant population, or better yet, fighting off discrimination against immigrant minorities.

Beyond neighbouring: Migrants' place attachment to their host cities in China

“…Ethnic enclaves may be their “port of entry” into the city where they usually develop strong bonds. On the other hand, due to the transnational nature of international immigrants in Western countries, the other scale of immigration literature is the host and source country (Hochman, Stein, Lewin‐Epstein, & Wöhler, 2018; Hou et al, 2018). Much research found that immigrants may maintain strong bonds with their place of origin, but they also develop attachment to their current country of residence (Boğaç, 2009; Hou et al, 2018).…”

Return Migration Intentions Driven by Parental Concerns and the Value of Children

“…Marriage Concerns: Another concern that has prompted parents to consider returning is their children's "undesirable" marital choices, given that ethnic identification weakens over the generations (Hochman et al 2018). This concern stems from the possibility of intermarriage, lack of proper Turkish spouse candidates in Germany, and problems associated with importing spouses from Turkey.…”

Identity and Belonging: Emotional Assimilation in Two Immigrant Communities in Germany

“…2014; Doerschler and Jackson, 2011;Demmrich and Arakon, 2020). One particularly important dimension in this process has been referred to as "emotional assimilation"-host country identification or a national identity oriented towards immigrants' new country (Alba and Nee, 2003;Diehl and Schnell, 2006;Ersanilli and Koopmans, 2009;Ersanilli and Saharso, 2011;Hochman et al, 2018). The degree to which emotional assimilation is successful and a sense of deep belonging created is perhaps the most important challenge facing both immigrants and their new host countries.…”

“…Theoretical Background Hochman et al (2018) argue that a basic understanding of assimilation is premised on the decrease in dissimilarities between immigrants and natives and an increase in their similarities, while Schaeffer and Bukenya (2014) provide a pithy definition of assimilation as "a process that reduces differences between immigrants and natives." This reduction of differences does not imply a complete acculturation of newcomers to the host society but rather "leaves open the possibility that the host society may make some of the adjustments, something that acculturation does not" (Schaeffer and Bukenya, 2014: 158).…”

“…Emotional assimilation can be understood as involving the ethnic and national identification preferences of immigrants and immigrant descendants (Hochman et al, 2018). Emotional assimilation does not require a reduction per se in identification with an immigrant's previous homeland or decrease in their ethnic identification, but merely an increase in the degree to which an immigrant identifies with the new host country and its culture, values, and customs.…”