Immigrant ambivalence toward the homeland: The case of Iraqis in Helsinki and Rome

This paper seeks to contribute to our understanding of the social psychology of migrants—both labor immigrants and refugees—by introducing the idea of ambivalence as a central feature of the migration experience.  Building on recent work on ambivalence, particularly the contribution of Neil Smelser, we follow his lead in linking the idea of ambivalence to Albert Hirschman’s treatment of exit, loyalty, and voice.  The data utilized in this study derive from a larger study of Iraqi immigrants in Helsinki and Rome.  We make use of 48 open-ended interviews, half conducted in each city.  Our focus is on the ambivalence of immigrants toward their country of origin.  We find evidence that ambivalence is common and the reactions to it vary along the lines suggested by Hirschman.