Torn between Two Worlds: Unsettled Sense of Place and Belongingness between Old and New Homelands during a Global Pandemic

Abstract

Growing evidence from countries in the global North and South indicates that a disproportionately high number of migrants are being physically and emotionally, economically and socially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that the everyday experiences of living in the time of a global pandemic is not the same for everyone. There is an emerging scholarship that argues that to understand the dissimilar impacts of COVID-19 on migrants, it is necessary to take into account their specific social situations across diverse contexts. Reflecting critically on our experiences of living through the pandemic as first-generation aspirational immigrants in Australia, in this paper we highlight the struggles and vulnerabilities in the time of COVID-19 specific to the context of newly arrived immigrants from the global South to the North. We will discuss how our senses of place and belongingness between old and new homelands have become unsettled as we endeavour to make our new home in Australia while at the same time managing caring responsibilities for our elderly parents in our old homeland, Bangladesh, a country that has largely failed to ensure care for elderly people during this pandemic. The anxieties of losing loved ones to COVID-19 in Bangladesh combined with the growing insecurities of making a foothold in the shrinking labour market in Australia have become part of our everyday lives. As we juggle and struggle between the two homes, we increasingly recognise that people with multiple belongingness, particularly recent immigrants from the global south, might experience unique vulnerabilities that warrant attention of researchers, practitioners and policymakers.

Torn between two worlds: COVID, it’s your fault

“… Alatrash’s (2018) astute observation of “to leave a homeland is to leave a piece of one’s heart and soul behind” (p. 142) aptly describes the longing that Parisa described as “I belong HERE and THERE”. Similar concerns of health and wellbeing of loved ones as identified by Camellia and Fattah (2021) were specifically mentioned by the participants who retained close links with those in their ‘home’ country. This highlights the role that easy access to international travel played in the pre-COVID period to maintain transnational connections and for immigrants to belong to two worlds more easily.…”

“…This suggests that Parisa was experiencing similar emotions to those she felt on first arrival in NZ. Her concern for her elderly parents living in Iran resonates with similar narratives on transnationalism emerging in the literature ( Camellia & Fattah, 2021 ) and reactivates her sense of belonging to two worlds. COVID-19 tested Parisa’s resilience and coping strategies and found these less strong than she anticipated.…”

“…The impact of COVID-19 on transnational links and relationships has been a significant stressor for immigrants. The literature contains some rich examples such as Camellia and Fattah (2021) , new immigrants in Australia, who described being ‘torn’ between their two worlds as they struggled with concerns about elderly parents in India who may have needed their support. Yen et al’s (2021) study on immigrants in the UK reported on the pull of transnational relationships and associated stress.…”

Centering Children’s Concerns and Voices in Policy

“…Examples of anti-Asian racism (Kong et al, 2021), anti-Islamic discrimination (Al-Qazzaz, 2020), and anti-Semitism (Halmarson & Lefebvre, 2020) also continued to rise between 2020-2021, including harms that specifically targeted young people. Children who have experienced immigration also frequently face issues around identity and belonging as they are often "torn between two worlds"--Canada and the country they emigrated from or have cultural ties to (Camellia & Fattah, 2021). This identity crisis engenders issues and challenges around belonging and can manifest in a number of ways including mental health challenges, low self-esteem, feelings of detachment, challenges in academic performance and, in extreme cases, can result in children and youth acting out and getting involved with criminal and non-criminal gangs (Van Ngo et al, 2017).…”