Migrants straddling the “here” and “there”: Explorations of habitus and hybrid identities among Sri Lankan migrants in New Zealand

• Published in: Journal of community & applied social psychology 2020-03, Vol.30 (2), p.185-198
• Main Authors: Cassim, Shemana, Stolte, Ottilie, Hodgetts, Darrin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Colonialism; Country of origin; Cultural identity; Habitus; Migrants; migration; postcolonial; Psychology; Resilience; Sri Lanka
• ISSN: 1052-9284; 1099-1298
• DOI: 10.1002/casp.2436

Migrant settlement is of particular interest to the field of psychology due to a notable increase in the movement of people over the past few decades. This article explores the ways in which Sri Lankan migrants in New Zealand establish a sense of continuity between the host nation and country of origin. The theoretical framework for this research is informed by elements of ethnographic and indigenous research. We provide a rich understanding of migrant experiences that foregrounds the agency and resilience of migrants, and acknowledges the complexities of the notion of identity and migrant settlement. We explore complex, fluid, and hybrid cultural identities as experienced by Sri Lankan migrants and their negotiations of space and place, material practices, and objects of significance, such as an educational institution, antique dinnerware, and furniture with colonial origins. The present research thereby, argues for the need to acknowledge both the historical and current contexts that shape migrants' sense of habitus and cultural identities.