“The Transnational Engagement of Second Generations: Young People of Egyptian Background in Italia and the Arab Uprisings

Abstract

The popular mobilisations of 2010-11, known as the ‘Arab Spring’, have had a global resonance well beyond the Arab world, affecting the lives of migrants with Arab- Mediterranean background living in Europe. Drawing on qualitative analysis, this article explores the impact of the Arab Spring on second generation’s young people of Egyptian origin living in Italy. This study shows that research participants have a diverse assessment of the outcomes of the uprisings, that they have participated in them in different ways, and that they have contributed to the construction of common or contested narratives around them, both in the public and private discourse. Moreover, the research discusses the impact of these key historical events on young people’s identity and sense of belonging, as well as on their transnational ties and practices. The transnational political engagement of research participants is examined to investigate how second generations experience a transnational life and build transnational identities. This study contributes to the debate on the relationship between transnationalism and second/third generations.