“For how long will I be an immigrant, a refugee or a person with ‘immigrant background’?”
This is a well justified question asked by many citizens who have migrated, or who have at least one parent or grandparent who has moved to another country. It challenges the individuals and the communities sense of belonging. The answer to this question seems to confuse even longstanding diversity experts. The reason is that there is not just one answer. There are at least two.
Legally spoken, once a person acquires a countries citizenship, the status is not anymore ‘Immigrant’. The person now has the full and equal rights as any other citizen. This also includes the right to live free from racism and discrimination. Thus the person can demand not to be called an ‘immigrant’, if and when this term carries a negative and stigmatising connotation. Even more so, if the individual is born to the country as the spouse of a legal citizen. This is also why it can be problematic to invite someone, in the role of a single representative for everyone perceived as an immigrant, to speak about racism and discrimination on panels and conferences. It is not always comfortable to put oneself into a victim role.
But then there is another answer, which in itself again is twofold. Persons who have migrated, or who have at least one parent or grandparent who has moved to another country, as well as their families, specially if the migration was due to traumatizing circumstance in the country of origin, are effected for several generations to come. Read about it in this book about family trauma by Adam Frankel or in this excellent article about the situation in Germany.
These traumata can be reinforced by discrimination and injustice in the receiving countries. Since immigrants and their offspring are often perceived as outsiders and different from the physical looks, names and cultural behaviour which many race-oriented societies identify with, they are also targets of racism and abuse. All of this has damaging effects on the individual and their direct surroundings. Read about it in this article about racial stress in communities.
A word must also been said about the hopeful statement repeated since decades, mostly by members of the privileged groups, about the next generation to be free of racial stress, because “our children have so many foreign friends, there will be no more prejudice in the future”. This hope of things solving themselves over time has long since proven false.
Energy, creativity and inspiration are born in diversity and duality, sometimes even in paradox and chaos. This often is sacrificed on the altars of efficiency and simplicity.
In order to achieve at least equity and to unlock the creative and innovative powers of diversity, we need special measures for several generations and change of attitude in the receiving societies. Therefore, we need to recognise and understand dual realities and complexities. Duality is not a paradox. We also need a terminology in order to work with it.
Persons who have migrated, or who have at least one parent or grandparent who has moved to another country, need awareness about this, in order to understand and embrace their own identity. Terminology is constantly changing and improving and also different in different cultures. Important is, how a term is understood.