Ethnic Identity and Sense of Belonging : The Case Study of Ethnic Construction and Sense of Belonging of Macedonian Diaspora in Australia

This paper aims to gain an in-depth understanding of construction of ethnic identity and feeling ofbelonging through a case study on Macedonian diaspora in Australia. It examines the aspects whichinfluenced the construction of their (ethnic) identity and what kind of impact the migration processhad on their feeling of belonging. For that purpose, a qualitative research method was chosenconsisting of 9 semi-structured interviews with members of the Macedonian diaspora who havelived in Australia for more than 20 years. The result shows that the decisive factors in determiningtheir ethnic identity was the language, the Macedonian as well as Australian culture and the linkageto their homeland. In addition, although they showed that they have adopted Australian culture butalso kept their Macedonian culture, the psychological condition, memories, place attachment andfamily seemed to be essential for the prevalence of Macedonian ethnic identity and feeling ofbelonging