Abstract
The demand of multiculturalism calls for dealing with the cultural characteristics of migrants in all spheres of life and puts to the fore the topic of identity. The fast-growing cultural diversity of European societies puts in question the – until now – habitual ways of self-determination and self-esteem. More and more often the questions “Who am I?” and “Where do I belong?” reveal the necessity of self-identification in the changing contexts of everyday life.
The paper considers the process of identity change of migrants as a result of the interrelated processes of globalization, migration and the politics of multiculturalism. Its main focus is directed at the identity change in the contemporary Bulgarian diasporas and the factors that determine them. It presents concrete examples of varying identities that can be encountered among Bulgarian migrants.
The task of future research will be to determine criteria which allow differentiated studies of modern Bulgarian diasporas and the development of diasporic identities. The goal is to challenge the ubiquitous monolithic and emotion-laden concepts of “our people abroad” or “Bulgarians in foreign countries” and to open the view for new insights into the identity management within the different Bulgarian migrant communities.
Keywords: migration, multiculturalism, identity, identity change, contemporary Bulgarian diasporas
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