‘I Am One of Them’: Exploring the Communication of Identity of Latvian Migrants on Social Networking Sites

Abstract

This chapter analyses how ethnic transnational identities are manifested and negotiated on the social networking sites used by Latvian migrants. Although migrants as well as other people use various personal media, including Skype, chat apps such as WhatsApp and telephones, social networking sites stand out with the diversity of functions in migrant communication. This includes one-to-one exchanges, group communication and the ability to locate and connect with users who may or may not be familiar offline. We argue that social networking sites and particularly thematic groups on these sites that migrants create and join serve as forums or bulletin boards where they exchange practical information and are able to communicate with other Latvians who live nearby – and that these uses have implications for the communication of identity. The empirical data in the chapter comes from 20 semi-structured interviews with Latvian migrants who live in a variety of countries and were recruited for the study on social networking sites, as well as survey data, all of which were collected within the research project The Emigrant Communities of Latvia: National Identity, Transnational Relations and Diaspora Politics. The results demonstrate that migrant interactions on social networking sites do not necessarily lead to the homogenisation of migrants’ conception of what ‘being a Latvian’ means. The increased ability to maintain associations with diverse online and offline social circles provides a migrant with a variety of identity elements to associate with. As a result, hybrid identities may emerge. A migrant can identify with the host society yet still reject some of its characteristics – and choose Latvian alternatives instead.

Inner Conflicts in the Construction of Hybrid Identities in Diaspora : A Case Study of Latvia ’ S Diaspora in Sweden

“…Diasporic experience and hybrid identity, no matter the different definitions, indeed goes hand in hand as it is discovered in this research. It is shown that there is multitude of ways how one adjusts and copes with the new situation in the host country, this is why one can assume that diasporic experience is a very personal and individual one and there is no 'unifying diaspora consciousness' as diversity is an integral feature of a diaspora [Bucholtz, Sūna 2019]. As the recent research on diaspora demonstrates, diasporic identities are not expected to be totally loyal only to their host country, in fact to be diasporic means to be in the constant state of in-between two or more places, in-between two or more identities.…”

Communities of/for Interest: Revisiting the Role of Migrants’ Online Groups

“…The role of Polacy w Swansea UK as a 'network of support' (Bucholtz and Sūna, 2019;Chen and Choi, 2011;Nancheva, 2021;Oh, 2016Oh, : 2225Oosterbaan, 2010;Sabido, 2017) is evident here; it operated as a self-help community allowing migrant users to post and respond to questions, asking for information, receiving advice for a range of concerns and issues as well as socialising and sharing experiences online. As well as setting up and moderating the groups, moderators also played their own part in facilitating these discussions.…”

“…Others saw virtual communities as a new type of communities; while there was a recognition that these new communities are disembodied, deterritorialised and thus may lack the 'spirit' or 'commitment' of actual communities, they still played a role in creating a 'sense of community'; that is, subjective feelings of empathy, support and belonging among people (Castells, 2003;Wellman, 2001). Within the migration literature, for example, scholars have been using Anderson's notion of 'imagined community' to analyse the features of online groups and their role in generating a collective sense of belonging (Andersson, 2019;Bucholtz and Sūna, 2019). Here empirical research has highlighted the complex ways in which attachment and belonging operate within (migrants') online communities, for example, that members of online groups may share the feeling of belonging to a community even though they have different degrees of attachment to it.…”

“…These studies have demonstrated how online communities facilitate migrant settlement and emplacement in the country of destination, thus providing an important avenue of integration and empowerment especially for more marginalised migrant individuals (Kok and Rogers, 2017; Nancheva, 2021). Scholars have also highlighted the importance of social capital generated by migrants’ online groups, pointing to different ways in which these groups function as informal support networks for their members (Bucholtz and Sūna, 2019; Chen and Choi, 2011; Oh, 2016; Oosterbaan, 2010; Sabido 2017; Nancheva, 2021). Inter alia, this includes group users sharing information and experiences about their daily lives, receiving practical help and emotional support on a range of issues, meeting new people, socialising among themselves and so on.…”

Social networking and subjective well-being among Sri Lankan youth immigrants in South Korea

“…Studies show that social networking on the basis of cultural identity reinforces the immigration integration process. Furthermore it enhances the prospects for migrants to achieve their desired objectives of the migration process (Bobowik et al, 2022;Bucholtz & Sūna, 2019;Ryan, 2011). The strength of social networks or bonding social capital is defined by Putnam (2000) as "connections within a group or community characterized by high levels of similarity in demographic characteristics, attitudes, and available information and resources" (p. 43).…”