Emotions and resistance in diaspora: the case of Australia's Kurds from Turkey

• Published in: Ethnic and racial studies Vol. 46; no. 15; pp. 3249 - 3270
• Main Authors: Yilmaz, Ihsan, Demir, Mustafa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 18-11-2023; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Diaspora; diasporas; Emotions; Kurdish people; Kurds; Middle Eastern cultural groups; Oppression; Preservation; Resilience; Resistance; Rights; Social identity; Transnationalism; victimhood; Victimization
• ISSN: 0141-9870; 1466-4356
• DOI: 10.1080/01419870.2023.2205528

This paper examines the emotional motives behind the reproduction and maintenance of Kurdishness as a transnational social identity among Kurds from Turkey residing in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing from 15 face-to-face, in-depth interviews with members of the Kurdish diaspora, we argue that the collective victimhood experienced by Kurds in response to repressive assimilationist state policies and crackdowns on political rights and activities in Turkey has played a significant role in shaping diasporic Kurdish identity. Our findings, however, reveal that resistance and resilience have also emerged among the members of the Kurdish diaspora in Australia, and are now equally integral to the construction and preservation of Kurdishness. By exploring the complex interplay between emotions, victimhood, resistance and resilience, this paper sheds light on the ongoing struggles and shifting diaspora identities.