From ‘ethnic’ and ‘faith’ communities to ‘identity politics’? A journey into the self-representations of Senegalese immigrants in Italy Giulia Sinatti University of Milan-Bicocca London School of Economics CRONEM Conference 2006 ‘Multicultural Britain: From Anti-Racism to Identity Politics to …?’ University of Surrey / Roehampton University, 14-15th June 2006

Identity politics … is not social identity, which may be based on ethnicity and/or religion (Baumann 1999)

Ethnicity and religion … what role do both elements play in emerging forms of contemporary migrations such as transnational migrations?

Senegalese migrants... constitute a labour diaspora (Cohen 1997) of first generation migrants, strongly oriented towards return

Senegalese migrants … have an established tendency to form congregations (Knox 1995) i.e. to give birth to self-isolated communities within urban settings

Among such urban settings Zingonia offers: highly spatially segregated urban periphery highly spatially segregated urban periphery degraded, but cheap residential housing blocks degraded, but cheap residential housing blocks opportunities for unskilled employment in blue-collar work opportunities for unskilled employment in blue-collar work

Zingonia: a ‘Little Senegal’ Constructed on the basis of: Common social identification along religious and/or ethnic lines.

The religious argument Little Senegals as: Little Senegals as: “places of Islam” Aiming at the preservation of Senegalese tradition and religious integrity. Aiming at the preservation of Senegalese tradition and religious integrity. Inward looking strategy, against the prospect of multi-cultural dialogue. Inward looking strategy, against the prospect of multi-cultural dialogue.

The ethnic argument Little Senegals as: Little Senegals as: “a place in which to shake off nostalgia by mingling with fellow countrymen” Aiming at common identification along the lines of shared nationality and culture. Aiming at common identification along the lines of shared nationality and culture. Outward looking strategy, with potential for generating multi-cultural dialogue, but also of being strumentalised and developing into ‘identity polics’. Outward looking strategy, with potential for generating multi-cultural dialogue, but also of being strumentalised and developing into ‘identity polics’.

Thank you and … … advice is more than welcome! Giulia Sinatti University of Milan-Bicocca London School of Economics July 2006