Volume: 2  Number: 1  Page: 47–62  doi:10.2167/md046.0

Lost in Communism, Lost in Migration: Narratives of the Post-1989 Polish Migrant Experience

Dariusz Galasiński and Aleksandra Galasińska History and Governance Research Institute, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK

In this paper we are interested in constructions of migrant experience in the narratives of Polish post-1989 immigrants to the UK who perceive their migration as unsuccessful. We concentrate on two Polish migrants to the UK who left Poland almost immediately after the collapse of communism and have been in the UK for more than 10 years. Their emigration coincided with the beginning of the system transformations in Poland. Because of their migration they had little chance to engage with the processes of transformation, but, alternatively, they found themselves in a ‘ready-made’ environment that is only worked towards in Poland. We shall argue that the anchoring of our informants' narratives in Polish communist discourses and, more specifically, its discourses of the West and of work are a millstone on their necks, setting impossible expectations, as well as frustrating possibilities of success.

Keywords: discourses of communism, experience, migration, narrative, postcommunism

© 2007 D. Galasiński & A. Galasińska

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