Acts of transcultural belonging and social empowerment among migrant youth

Abstract

Drawing on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with migrant youth in Melbourne, Toronto and Birmingham, this paper explores the relationship between transcultural capital and the negotiation of belonging within wider social and political challenges. It examines these intersecting questions in a global context of pandemic crises, enduring securitization agendas, tightening of migration policies, rising racism as well as deep-rooted social inequalities within many multicultural societies. Using unique empirical insights, this paper argues for a trans-local, relational approach to the conceptual framing and everyday practice of transcultural capital. The paper reframes the very notion of “migrant” from a position of disadvantage to one of empowerment in relation to the challenges and opportunities of living in multicultural cities. Our findings reveal that transcultural capital often acts as a performative tool for navigating local integration challenges, for creating a sense of belonging to multiple places, and for adopting agentic capacities to identity and intercultural relations.