Constructing sites of memory and practising nationalism beyond the homeland: Georgian migrants in the USA and Germany

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article deals with constructing and/or reproducing sites of national memory and cultural heritage among Georgian immigrant communities in the USA (New York City) and Germany (Berlin and Regensburg). Georgian immigrant communities in the USA and Germany consist of “old” and “new” arrivals, with people of various ages as well as different professional and employment backgrounds. We try to address the questions: how do socio-economic challenges, legal immigration status, job opportunities and living conditions influence immigrants’ attitudes toward national identity and culture? How do plans to stay and integrate into host societies define the ways immigrants “practice” nationalism? The symbolic realm of Georgian immigrant communities in the USA and Germany consists of both tangible and intangible sites of national identity and memory, as well as cultural heritage. We reflect on how national identity is “crystalized” and represented in material and physical settings (churches, and icon corners at home, for instance) and in certain national, cultural, and religious practices. These practices as cultural expressions manifest in preserving the native language, adhering to the Christian faith, celebrating Orthodox Christian holidays, learning national songs and dances, maintaining traditional cuisine, and eating habits, and more.