(New) Bulgarian Enlighteners and Ambassadors? The Reinvention of National Identity in Times of Crisis

Genova, Elena

Abstract

Drawing on empirical data from 37 Bulgarian students and young professionals in the UK, this article explores the intersection of the discourses produced by the European crises and migrants' national identity. In Bulgaria, the crisis narrative is embedded in the arguably never‐ending democratic transition, manifested in socio‐economic instability and political volatility. Simultaneously, “Brexit Britain” is enveloped in strong Eurosceptic sentiments, propelled by a combination of austerity measures and intensified Eastern European migratory flows. Both contexts subject Bulgarian migrants to stigmatizing representations. Looking at migrants' everyday practices, the data reveals that young Bulgarians draw on the related ideas of the “new” Enlightener and Ambassador to counterbalance negative discourses. Thus, the article explores the meanings and significance attributed to the Enlighteners and the Ambassadors, arguing that the participants engage in “social creativity” and “individual mobility” strategies that lead to reinvention of national identity.

Citation

Genova, E. (2020). (New) Bulgarian Enlighteners and Ambassadors? The Reinvention of National Identity in Times of Crisis. International Migration, 58(1), 76-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12592

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 22, 2019
• Online Publication Date: May 23, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 3, 2020
• Journal: International Migration
• Print ISSN: 0020-7985
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2435
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 76-89
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12592
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2471049
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/imig.12592
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Genova, E. (2020), (New) Bulgarian Enlighteners and Ambassadors? The Reinvention of National Identity in Times of Crisis. Int Migr, 58: 76-89, which has been published in final form at doi:10.1111/imig.12592. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.