Applying knowledge about national affiliation and considering resentment towards one’s national identity – German migrants in Greece

Abstract

This article addresses results gained from research on the self-presentations of German migrants in Greece. The research project has taken into account that the recent Greek discourse on Greece has produced hostility against Germany. This hostility may be epitomised by the burning of German national flags in Greece. Further, the hostility suggests that being German may be assigned moral inferiority in Greece. In the light of the anti-German sentiment in Greece, the research is focused on how German migrants perform self-presentations in terms of national affiliation and on whether they treat Germanness as a stigma. Based on qualitative interviews, I have developed five types of German migrants’ self-presentations that are outlined in this article. The types unveil German migrants’ understanding of their national affiliation and their focus on the Greek discourse on Germany.

Keywords:

• German migrants
• Greek crisis
• self-presentation
• stigmatisation