TY - JOUR T1 - Anxieties Regarding Family Return to Latvia: Does the Imagined Turn Out to Be Reality? JF - Central and Eastern European Migration Review Y1 - 2022 A1 - Grosa, Daina KW - education KW - family return migration KW - imagination KW - Latvia KW - return culture shock KW - returnee children AB -

For a migrant, returning to his or her homeland after living abroad can be much anticipated, yet also daunting, especially if return includes other family members who may have little insight into the cultural traditions and life approaches of the homeland. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative evidence from interviews and a survey of both Latvian nationals living abroad and returnees to Latvia, the anxieties concerning first-generation family return with (mostly) second-generation children are unravelled – particularly the challenges faced by the children. The paper explores the difference between an imagined family return to the homeland and the lived experience. Anxieties especially concern children’s readiness for school – lack of home-country language skills, curriculum disparities and the often unsympathetic attitude of teaching staff towards returnee pupils. Preparation in advance, a resilient mindset and an avoidance of comparisons with the host country are found to reduce return anxiety for both parents and children and to ease (re)integration into the homeland setting. Home-country government initiatives offering support measures to returnees also help to mitigate the challenges of return.

 

VL - 11 CP - 2 EP -

171

U2 -

13 June 2022

U3 -

23 December 2022

U4 -

28 December 2022

SP - 155 ER -