The African diasporic community in contemporary Ireland: Intersections of ascriptive and circumstantial identities

Abstract

African identity has remained a major subject of scholarly debate. Essentialist discourses promote the notion of a unified African identity, whereas historical and situational realities suggest the contrary. This article draws on empirical evidence from a recent doctoral research study to examine the dynamics of African identities in modern-day Ireland. It challenges the essentialist thesis of homogeneity, and argues instead that in the pragmatic context of migration Africans negotiate multidimensional identities and belongings, forced by compelling particularistic experiences and the need to adopt personal strategies for adaptation and inclusion. However, regardless of the tension between personal and collective identities and interests, prospects exist for fellowship within the African immigrant community, based on the sense of common migration from Africa and collective alienation in the host country. These shared characteristics ultimately become a necessary instrument for political and strategic effectiveness in building a viable African political community in Ireland.