Identity perception and intercultural communication in the immigration experience: The case of Senegalese in Turkey

There has been an intense influx from Sub-Saharan African countries to Türkiye, which is on the migration route from Africa to the Mediterranean Basin, especially in recent years. Türkiye's diplomatic and commercial relations with the countries in the region, as well as its historical and cultural ties with these countries, pave the way for the emergence of relevant migration movements. The strict border policies of European countries and Türkiye's more flexible regulations compared to these countries are another factor that is effective in the formation of these movements. In addition, Türkiye's global trade networks and economic potential make it attractive for potential labor migration to Sub-Saharan African countries. In this context, today's migrations from Sub-Saharan Africa to Türkiye have an important place in global movements. On the other hand, the fact that each migration movement has its own characteristics in terms of its emergence and scope necessitates that migrations originating from Sub-Saharan Africa should not be evaluated as homogeneous. As a matter of fact, in the region where there are 49 countries, the appearance of international migrations will differ from each other. Therefore, based on this understanding, the study focuses on the migration experience of a community within Sub-Saharan African migrations. In addition, the fact that migration from Sub-Saharan Africa in general and from Senegal in particular to Türkiye is a new field of study in migration literature has inspired this study. The immigration experiences of Senegalese in Türkiye and their changing identity perceptions and intercultural communication with these experiences. The main problem of the study, which focuses on processes, is "What are the perceptions of Senegalese people in Istanbul regarding their immigration experiences, identities and intercultural communication practices?" poses the question. Accordingly, a qualitative methodological approach was adopted in the research. The research, which aims to reach the common meanings/essence hidden in the experiences of immigrants, their identity perceptions and intercultural communication practices, was designed with a phenomenological pattern. However, in the study based on a hermeneutic and social constructivist paradigm, an interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted in order to bring a more holistic, flexible and relational approach to the basic issue and to enable the issue to be evaluated on an interpretive level. Istanbul, the city where Senegalese people in Türkiye are concentrated, was chosen as the research area and the research process was carried out in Aksaray-Laleli-Kumkapı regions between 10 August 2023 and 29 October 2021. In this context, the study group was determined by purposive sampling and snowball sampling and in-depth interviews were conducted with 37 Senegalese immigrants, 28 men and nine women. The research, in which semi-structured in-depth interview technique was used, also aimed to enrich the data obtained through participatory observations and informal interviews. The data obtained from the field research was analyzed with the thematic analysis method using MAXQDA 2024 Analytic Pro Qualitative Analysis Program. The data obtained from the transcripts of the interviews were first coded according to the purpose and problematic of the research through this program, and the relationship patterns between the obtained codes were determined and sub-themes, themes and main themes were determined, respectively. Moreover, in addition to the interpretive phenomenological approach in the study, the findings obtained based on the dialectical approach in intercultural communication studies were interpreted in the context of sociocultural, historical and power relations. As a result of the study, four main themes were reached: Process and Scope of Migration, Immigration Experience: Subalternity Views, Networks and Strategies, Perception of Identity and Belongings, and Contacts and Interaction: Encounter of Meanings Based on Culture. In general, it has been observed in the research that the phenomenon of migration is perceived by Senegalese people in Turkey as an instrumental phenomenon in terms of the intersection of individual desires with the goals stipulated by cultural norms and values, and that it shapes their identity perception and intercultural communication processes on this plane. Immigration, which is only a means to achieve various goals where economic accumulation and social status and reputation in the country of origin are essential, prioritizes the preservation of the essence of cultural identity, even though it paves the way for changes in the perception of belonging under the influence of experiences in the host country. Intercultural communication practices appear on such a basis.