Identities in Transition: Hybridism amongst Second Generation Greek Migrants

Abstract

The principal originality of this article lies in the analysis on ethnicity and identity in an under-explored geographical/ethnic context, that is the Greek second generation in Italy. Through a field research, the article analyses second generation Greek migrants' process of identity construction, highlighting the emergence of a network of multiple and hybrid belongings as well as a combination of identities and dialectical positions. The field research findings show that hybrid belongings contradict the idea of cultural purity by revealing that all cultures are hybrid all along. In fact, self-representation and self-identification of the Greek second generation challenge traditional paradigms of ethnicity entailing a reworking of pre-existing hybridity rather than any simple combination of Italian and Greek identities. Another key argument that emerged from this fieldwork is the importance of the specific context, positions and conditions in which hybridity operates.

Sites and Ways of Belonging to Diaspora Networks: The Case of the Greek Second Generation in Italy

“…These findings lead us to reflect on the future of the Greek diaspora in Italy-that is, on its ability to survive over time with the succession of generations. Such reflection should also be made in light of the not insignificant progressive decrease in migration flows from Greece and the numerosity of Greek citizens in Italy as well as the emergence of cultural hybridisms capable of deconstructing all those identity packages of an imagined community and an essentialist image anchored to national consciousness within postmodern contexts (Pelliccia 2017b).…”

“…This can result in conceiving Greek national identity in rigid ethnocultural terms, and the "ancient glorious past" is thus incorporated into the conception of the nation as its genealogical and cultural cradle (Triandafyllidou, Gropas, and Kouki 2013). On the other hand, the emergence of hybrid forms of identity and the spread of transnational practices constitute further fundamental aspects of second-generation diaspora (Pelliccia 2017b). Hybridism and transnationalism can be functional in defining concepts such as "roots" and "home" in a series of significant shifts by challenging the notion of self-centered cultures, affirming an idea of identity that is not reducible to a uniform and stable configuration.…”

Feeling Greek, speaking Greek? National identity and language negotiation amongst the Greek diaspora in Australia

“…However, Greekness, as used in this paper, denotes the contested and constructed nature of Greek national identity (Angouri, 2012, 99). As Pelliccia (2017) outlines, Greekness is an active choice for those in diaspora, resulting in fluidity and potential hybridity; they are able to stress, pick and choose allegiances and aspects of their Greekness. This paper adds to work on narratives of diasporic identity which stress the tensions, disunities, arguments and emotional discomforts and turmoil involved in negotiating identities, in-betweenness and roots/routes.…”