Nostalgia for homeland in the daily lives of Iranian migrants

Abstract

In recent decades, Iran has been considered one of the leading countries in terms of emigration. Iranian migration can be categorized into three waves, corresponding to three time periods. A) The years 1950-1979, during which most migrations were for higher education with the intention of returning to Iran. B) The years 1979-1995, when most migrations were forced due to revolution and war. C) The years 1995 to the present, where the majority of migrations are for economic reasons, aimed at achieving stability and a better life, without the intention of returning to the country. The aim of this research is to examine the memories and feelings of nostalgia among Iranian migrants during these three time periods. To this end, theories of collective memory and nostalgia were used to analyze the findings. This is a qualitative study, and the data were obtained through in-depth virtual interviews (via Skype and WhatsApp). In this study, interviews were conducted with 11 migrants residing in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The results indicate that memories and nostalgias in the first group primarily revolve around childhood memories, in the second group focus on political activities, and in the third group center on economic, social, and cultural issues. Memories from the first and second groups are more closely associated with feelings of nostalgia, and the sense of nostalgia in all three periods is more pronounced among the male interviewees than the female ones.

Keywords

• migration
• memory
• nostalgia
• homeland
• daily life