Citizenship and Identity

An ever growing part of the ethnic minority communities in Western European countries consist of second and third generation migrants. Having their roots abroad but living their life in the country of residence questions arise about where they belong and as what they see themselves. The official sign of belonging is the citizenship of a state, which is acquired at birth on the basis of either ius soli or ius sanguinis. This dissertation analyses, using the cases of Britain and Germany, what influence these different concepts have on the identity formation of second generation South Asians. While in both countries the members of the second generation find their own way in the country they live in and look to South Asia for determinants of their identity, in Germany with the more exclusionary citizenship laws, in contrast to Britain, the passport develops into a symbol of (not) belonging. Citizenship of the host country seems thus to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for developing a sense of belonging.

The dissertation "Citizenship and Identity -among Second Generation South Asians in Western European Countries" was written in 1998. The original and complete version can be downloades as a pdf.

Since 1998 the citizenship laws in Germany and India have been changed. Person of Indian Origin (PIO) can now apply for a PIO card, which for 15 years gives them rights similar to those of an Indian citizen. Children of resident foreign citizens born in Germany obtain now German citizenship by birth.

Content

• Chapter 2 develops the British context, briefly describing the post-war migration history of South Asians to the Isles, the British citizenship law (as well as in a brief excursion the Indian rules) and then analysing the relevant literature on second generation South Asians in Britain.
• Chapter 3 sets the scene for Germany, providing also a brief post-war migration history of South Asians, an overview of the citizenship law and rules on naturalisation, a description of the legal impact of being a foreigner in Germany and finally a brief look into the general literature on second generation migrants in Germany.
• Chapter 4 is dedicated to the detailed analysis of second generation South Asians in Germany. It bases on the extensive fieldwork conducted in the preparation of this dissertation. After describing how the material was acquired through interviews, the material will be presented and analysed by distinguishing in a first step between second generation members with two and those with only one South Asian parent. In a second step the general features discovered by the fieldwork will be discussed.
• Chapter 5 establishes the general conclusions to the topic by comparing the British and German situations. The discussion will centre on the interaction of external and internal definition in the formation of identity and belonging, and the role citizenship plays in this. Furthermore, it will be analysed how a foreign citizenship influences the relationship of second generation South Asians towards the state in which they live. From this questions for future research will develop.

Further information:

• Desis in Germany
• Bibliography

Weitere Informationen in Deutsch:

• Eine neue Analyse des Materials: Andere Deutsche, Staatsbürgerschaft und Einbürgerung
• Generell zu 'InderInnen der zweiten Generation'
• und zu indisch-makierten Menschen in Deutschland

Literatur

• Veröffentlichungen von Urmila Goel
• Bibliographie