Torn Between Home and Homeland, Present and Future: Identity Formation Among Individuals With Assyrian Background in Sweden

None of us are immune to the ongoing identity-processes. Identity formation is something that we are engaged in every day, both in our consciousness and our subconsciousness, from the society levels down to personal levels. This study examines how individuals with Assyrian background form their identities in Sweden. Questions on ”homeland” and ”home”, and statelessness are asked to contribute to the understanding of identity formation among Assyrians in Sweden, as well as questions on expectations and concerns for the future to behold. A qualitative method is used, with the purpose to contribute to the existing knowledge on identity formation among Assyrians in Sweden. The empirical analysis is built on 14 Assyrian voices of different ages and backgrounds. Identity and belonging constitute the central conceptual framework of this study. By analyzing relevant literature and the primary data, the results shows that although Assyrians in Sweden have different ages and backgrounds, their experiences on identity formation are very similar. In relation to their personal identity formation, they emphasize the group-identification as something important. The term of statelessness is recognized to be a burden, at the same time as it is emphasized to be a truthful way of describing the collective identity. Further, questions on the future to behold are highly present, both on individual and collective levels