Intergenerational comparison of the integration of Bulgarian immigrants in Turkey: The case of İzmir

Migration, as one of the oldest phenomena in the history of humanity, and the integration of immigrants is a subject that social sciences have dealt with in various aspects for a long time. Intergenerational studies, which are based on the understanding that the integration process is not limited to only one generation, but is a dynamic process that affects several generations, hold a large and significant place in the migration literature. In line with this understanding, this study examines the intergenerational transformation and transmission of the integration process of the 1989 Bulgarian immigrants. In-depth interviews were conducted with immigrants in Izmir, one of the provinces where 1989 Bulgarian immigrants live intensely. Since the study is based on an intergenerational comparison based on households, a total of 30 people were interviewed in 15 households. The findings obtained from the interviews were analyzed by narrative analysis. With this study, which aims to reveal the immigrants' own life stories, the intergenerational transmission of immigrants' narratives regarding their integration in Turkey has been revealed. Within the scope of the study findings, it was seen that the first generation immigrants built an immigrant identity and some characteristics related to this identity were transferred to the second generation. It has been seen that the cultural values that immigrants brought from their lives in Bulgaria to Turkey and the narratives aimed at ensuring their integration in Turkey have combined to create an integration strategy.