Through the Stanley A. Hamel Travelling Fellowship, I went to Ireland, the land of emigration, to discover the emerging immigrant diaspora. During my very first day, I stopped into one of the many Turkish stores in Dublin and bought a borak, a cheese pastry that brought back many familiar memories of my own identity as an Algerian. It was not the Irish breakfast that I anticipated I was going to try on my first day but it led me to the long string of conversations I’d soon be having with the locals, including the Turkish store owner. He spoke about his own immigrant story of coming to Ireland with his young children to escape political unrest and an unpromising economic future, emphasizing that it was important for him to hold onto his Turkish identity while also trying to fit into a completely new society. In turn, I shared my own experiences of being an immigrant in the States, recounting my own struggles to discover what cultural and national identity meant to me.
Lina Adjout ’21 at the Cliffs of Moher in Munster, a province in the south of Ireland.
A few weeks later, as I walked through the Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin, I started to connect the story of the young Turkish man and the history of Irish immigrants. Watching and listening to the stories of immigrants as I walked through the museum, I felt a sense of sadness and gratitude at the same time. While economic pressure and religious discrimination forced millions to flee their homeland, there was still a longing for community and preserving a culture that was now molded by the struggle and determination of their ancestors. As I continued through these emigrant stories and interactive exhibits, stamping the passport that the front desk handed me at the beginning of the tour, I saw a quote boldly plastered on the wall that read “After all, emigration is not just a chronicle of sorrow and regret. It is also a powerful story of contribution and adaptation”. Through a desperation for a better life, emigrants then and now have found ways to not only be adaptable but to contribute a wealth of knowledge, art, work and culture in their new homes.
During my journey through the landscapes, museums and monuments of Ireland and Northern Ireland, I had the opportunity to meet with Sarah Owen, a Policy and Outreach Officer for the Crosscare Migrant Project. Since my position at an Immigration Legal Organization interconnects so much with the work she does, we were able to really connect on the changing immigrant diaspora and how we can continue to support immigrants. As she explained how rapidly changing the immigrant diaspora in Ireland has become, I thought of the immigrant landscape of Boston. What once was a hub for newly arriving Irish immigrants, it has now shifted to a destination for Chinese, Dominicans, Haitians, Brazilians and many more people from around the world. When Sarah mentioned that not even 20 years ago peppers at the grocery store were a rare sighting, it was then that it really struck me that immigration into Ireland is still very much a new phenomenon– and a rapidly growing one as well. I suppose it was not something I considered before as someone coming from America, a country that has had a long history of immigration though, it allowed me to challenge my own ideas of what immigration means in different parts of the world.
The Belfast Peace Wall Mural in Northern Ireland
During one of my last days in Dublin, I visited Phoenix Park right outside the city. The park was filled with large hanging oak trees that reminded me of the symbol of the Celtic Tree of Life that is displayed across Ireland. The ancient symbol signifies renewal, wisdom and strength. As I sat on the network of roots beneath me, allowing the large branches to provide me with shade, I recounted the meaning of the oak tree and connected it to the migrant story– a story of rebirth and resilience. Upon returning home, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for not only Irish culture but for what it stands for. As I continue working with immigrants in the Boston area, I am reminded of how interconnected the migrant experience is, whether it is an Irish family escaping the Famine in the 19th century or a Haitian immigrant fleeing from political instability today.
Read more about Lina Adjout's study abroad experience in UNH Today.
