European Encounters

This title reminds us of Europe's multi-facetted history of expulsions, flight, and labour migration and the extent to which European history since 1945 is a history of migration. While immigration and ethnic plurality have often been divisive issues, encounters between Europeans and newcomers have also played an important part in the development of a European identity. The authors analyse questions of individual and collective identities, political responses to migration, and the way in which migrants and migratory movements have been represented, both by migrants themselves and their respective host societies. The book's multi-disciplinary and international approach brings together experts from several fields including history, sociology, anthropology and political science. It should serve as a valuable tool for students of contemporary European history, migration, and ethnic identities. The migration of individuals and ethnic groups as well as encounters of newcomers and long-term residents have been fundamental features of Europe's post-war history. While immigration and ethnic plurality have often been divisive issues, the encounters of Europeans and other people also form an important basis for the development of a European identity. This book addresses key aspects of this complex past. It reminds us of the multi-facetted history of expulsions, flight and labour migration and the extent to which European history since 1945 is a history of migration. The topics range from the expulsions of ethnic Greeks and Germans after the two world wars to female labour migration from Turkey; they include the formation of a Ukrainian identity among displaced persons as well as the response of the Dutch government to colonial immigration. The authors analyse questions of individual and collective identities, political responses to migration, and the way in which migrants and migratory movements have been represented by those involved and the host societies.