Memories of Migration: Commemoration, Contestation, and Migrant Integration in the United Kingdom and Germany

Based on key concepts of memory studies, this article investigates how immigration is remembered in two different societies: the United Kingdom and Germany. Starting from the assumption that social remembering has the potential to encourage the integration of migrants, we analyze in several case stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:German politics and society 2021-06, Vol.39 (2), p.70-92
Main Authors: Laubenthal, Barbara, Myers, Kevin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activism
Case studies
Civil society
Collective memory
Comparative analysis
Concepts
Cross cultural studies
Immigrants
Immigration
Migrants
Migration
Noncitizens
Political aspects
Political participation
Popular culture
Social integration
Sociocultural factors
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Summary:Based on key concepts of memory studies, this article investigates how immigration is remembered in two different societies: the United Kingdom and Germany. Starting from the assumption that social remembering has the potential to encourage the integration of migrants, we analyze in several case studies how civil society organizations and government actors remember historical immigration processes and how the immigrant past is reflected in popular culture. Our analysis shows that both countries have several factors in common with regard to the role of immigration in collective memory. A common feature is the marginal status accorded to migration and, when it is remembered, the highly restricted role offered to immigrants. However, our studies also reveal that memory can become an important mode for the integration of migrants if it is used as a form of political activism and if organizations proactively use the past to make demands for the incorporation of immigrants.
ISSN:1045-0300
1558-5441
DOI:10.3167/gps.2021.390204