Migration Decisions and Paths in Family Stories of Polish Intergenerational Dyads in Germany
Migration Decisions and Paths in Family Stories of Polish Intergenerational Dyads in Germany

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses migration as a temporally-embedded process, shedding light on the complexity of individual and family trajectories. Through a multi-perspective lens, we examine migration decision- making and constructions of shared migration stories in Polish families in Germany. Previous research, largely focused on economic activity as a driver behind seasonal migration, has obscured the implications of generationality in this destination country.The findings stem from the IRIMTA study, which uses multi-perspective interviews with young adults (aged 18–29) who grew up in Germany and represent 1.5 and second-generation, as well as their parents (aged 44–68) who left Poland approx. 25 years ago. The article’s question is: How are migration decisions and paths intergenerationally narrated in the context of Polish families in Germany?The analysis reveals that parents and their adult children consistently recall the process of moving to Germany, referring to the same events, even if their emotional attitudes to the mobility projects differ. We reveal gender and subsequent relational and professional paths in Germany as filters that shape how migration is viewed today by the parents. As for young adults, we report mostly positive feelings associated with living in Germany, as well as their Polish background, thus demonstrating the role of migration stories in engendering intergenerational transnationalism.

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