Imagining and Encountering the Other in Manchester and Barcelona: The Narratives of Polish Migrant Women

Abstract

In the context of post-2004 European migration, Polish migrants encounter super-diverse population (Vertovec 2007) in terms of different ethnicities, nationalities, cultures, religions, languages and social classes. Drawing on narrative interviews and focus groups with Polish migrant women, I explore my research participants' imaginaries about the classed, raced and gendered Other upon their arrival in Manchester and Barcelona. I explore the constructions of the classed English Other different from the imagined upper class and white British society; 'closed' Catalans contrasting the stereotypical perceptions of open and friendly Spaniards and foreigners; and ambivalent perceptions of black and Oriental others.I use the postcolonial critique in de-coding some of these constructions. I stress the importance of the context and space in which these perceptions may have developed and reinforced. I also explore the possibility of changing perceptions and the emergence of conviviality understood as a practical and dynamic process, which emerges from routine interaction between the recent arrivals and established individuals, not necessarily free from tensions. My work contributes to a better understanding of everyday social relations as it introduces a cross-cultural comparative and gendered approach to research on conviviality. Furthermore, instead of focusing on majority-minority relations, it explores encounters between post-2004 migrants not only with the native population but also with settled ethnic minorities and other migrants with attention to whiteness and deeply rooted classed and racialised perceptions of the Other.

Racism and xenophobia experienced by Polish migrants in the UK before and after Brexit vote

“…The research participants imagined Britain before their arrival as a safe country with wellmannered upper-class people (Rzepnikowska 2016a). They were surprised with socioeconomic deprivation in some areas of Greater Manchester which they often described as 'dirty and dangerous', with a particular visibility of the British white working class.…”

“…While recent media and public attention has shifted to racist and xenophobic discourses in the UK, particularly affecting Polish migrants following the EU referendum, little consideration had been paid to Poles as victims of racist abuse before the Brexit vote, although some studies underline the issues of discrimination, racialisation and prejudice experienced by Polish and other East European migrants in the post 2004 accession period (Dawney 2008;Kempny 2011;Rzepnikowska 2016a;Rzepnikowska 2017a). Fox, Moroşanu, and Szilassy (2012) argue that shared whiteness between East European migrants and majority has not exempted the former from racialisation.…”

“…Fox, Moroşanu, and Szilassy (2012) argue that shared whiteness between East European migrants and majority has not exempted the former from racialisation. The existing research also makes reference to prejudiced attitudes of Polish migrants towards other ethnic minorities (Nowicka 2017;Nowicka and Krzyżowski 2016;Rzepnikowska 2016b;Rzepnikowska 2017a). While the literature broadens the understanding of prejudice and discrimination experienced by Polish and other East European migrants, this article explores how Polish migrants talked about their experiences of racism and xenophobia before and after Brexit vote, and how important the media and political discourses, as well as class and location were in shaping their perceptions.…”

Do I deserve to belong? Migrants’ perspectives on the debate of deservingness and belonging

“…Even more so, they can be shaped by the often-simplistic interpretations of attitudes towards otherness among CEE migrants. On the one hand, the intimate belonging of Poles has often been seen through their spatial withdrawal and absence of relationships forged with 'other' communities (Rzepnikowska 2016; see also Cook, Dwyer, and Waite 2011). On the other hand, the politics of belonging reflected by the migrants has been picked up and integrated into the discourse, framing a generalised standpoint of CEE migrants perceiving 'ethnic diversity as abnormal' (Eade, Drinkwater, and Garapich 2006, 18) and expressing racist views (D'Angelo and Ryan 2011; see also Barglowski and Pustulka 2018).…”

Polish migrant women’s narratives about language, racialised and gendered difference in Barcelona

“…Some research participants also discussed street encounters with black men. This is illustrated in Amelia's (31, hostel receptionist) narrative about street encounters with black men on her way to work (Rzepnikowska 2016b):…”