Social Sciences · Demography
A new article in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies says that migration labels such as “irregular,” “labour,” and “privileged” don’t stay stable. It argues that people constantly negotiate and contest these categories through everyday experiences, making even the label “migrant” fluid.
In Nairobi, the Kiswahili term “mzungu” can carry a mix of meanings tied to whiteness, social privilege, and being foreign. Researchers report that migrants and Kenyans negotiate the label—some reject it, others use it with distance or irony—revealing how privilege is lived through everyday words.
“Migrant” categories in research can be too rigid, the study argues, and may leave people feeling “boxed in.” Using survey data from 2016 and family history interviews in four cities, the researchers test ways to understand how movement—and staying put—relates to upward social mobility.
