This report is made by students at the International Master’s Programme in Ethnic and Migration Studies (EMS), Campus Norrköping, Linköping University (LiU). Every Spring we give the first-year students the task to apply their knowledge in migration and ethnic relations on a chosen topic. The report is produced during few weeks by the students themselves. This is the sixth issue of REMS – Reports from the Master of Arts program in Ethnic and Migration Studies.

This year we focus on the ongoing war in Ukraine and specifically its consequences for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, as well as on the Swedish and European reception of refugees. We cover far from all, but some important, aspects of the ongoing catastrophe this war entails for everybody involved. Despite a feeling of powerlessness and despair when war takes over and seem to block our capacity to think and act, it is even more important that intellectuals, researchers, and students, stick to the pens and insist on trying to understand, continue to analyse and investigate what is going on.

The once-in-a-century pandemic crisis has shed a different light on the value of migrants in modern society. Their contribution in Sweden and beyond is intrinsically interwoven with daily life - from seasonal laborers to workers in healthcare, transportation, catering and more. Migrants are not the excess of a society but rather have an indispensable role in it. Nevertheless, they are often depicted as welfare tourists, criminals, ‘others’ within our communities, in a nutshell financial burdens who take advantage of host countries. 

The last issue of this publication confronted the pandemic’s newly unfolding effects, posing the question of “How does one write about a storm when one is swept by the wind and an impending thunder overhead, and lighting?” After more than a year, one of the main things we can say is that when you are faced by a storm you stay put and wait for it to pass. In a world system which propels many of us towards increased dynamism and flexibility in life, the possibility to stand still relies on sound financial and social resources. Migratory experiences shaped by the lack of these resources are the epitome of the difficulty in remaining withdrawn until the crisis blows over.

This collection of articles guides the reader through the various, generally invisible experiences of being a migrant in the Swedish society and beyond. Caught in a web of discrimination, segregation, differential access to resources and possibilities. It explores how migrants’ experiences are shaped by material and legal aspects of the society. Money is not just an abstract word opening to the remote world of finance and its hazy rules, but a concrete force that shapes daily experiences of people.

This publication is indebted to the informants who shared their personal experiences and knowledge with authors. In addition, attained knowledge within the programme, and collaboration between students guided by the teachers are central to the quality of the articles.

Students at the Master´s Programme in Ethnic and Migration Studies, Linköping University, June 2021.

How does one write about a storm when one is swept by the wind and an impending thunder overhead, and lighting?

We’re writing whilst standing on moving tectonic plates; what we conclude today might be rendered obsolete by the discovery of a vaccine, or new outbreak on a so far, little-affected region. However, we can at least hope that writing from within the phenomenon of the Coronavirus pandemic we can construct a unique time capsule in what (we hope) will be a passing, though indelible, phase in history.

These reflections and observations of the present will be perhaps premature in gauging the situation or in making conclusions, but they will nevertheless be a record of a period that will be discussed and reconsidered for decades if not centuries to come. Therefore the texts that follow herein are a mixture of subjective reflections, popular scientific analyses and journalistic reports.

Ultimately, regarding the pandemic’s effects on the economy, migration policy, healthcare, social ties within and between societies, on the family and the quality of our friendships, our capacities for compassion and support, only time will tell.

Narratives of Norrköping, the 3rd edition of the REMS publication, aims to be exactly as the title suggests: a collection of narratives from a spectrum of different people residing in our city of Norrköping.

As with previous editions, this magazine has been created by 1st year students of the Ethnic and Migration Studies Master’s programme of Linköping University. An eclectic mix of people in their own right, the authors of the following texts have a hugely diverse and rich background of different cultures and narratives. They came together here in Norrköping to learn more about the ever more important field of migration and ethnicity.

An interdisciplinary and transformative course like Ethnic and Migration Studies constantly shifts the world view of the students studying it. From the way we look at political systems, to how minorities and refugees are treated; analysing infinitely different aspects of society can only lead us to change how we associate with the city around us. Norrköping is the city that now the majority of us call home, and it was a pleasure to come together to look outwards into the community to create this work.

The large variety of different authors brought together can be seen in the writing and design styles, which are individual to the authors. Both a mix of academic and journalistic styles, we hope that the reader can appreciate the personal touch of each of the pieces.

Authors aside, we would also like to give special thanks to the support and teachings of the staff of REMESO, and we must be particularly grateful to the fellow local residents who have been interviewed and have been willing to tell their story to a group of over enthusiastic students. Without them, there would be no stories to tell, and equally no community around us.

We hope that the following articles will provide some insight into the lives of more of the people around us, the city of Norrköping itself, and more of a taste of the forever enriching and changing culture surrounding us.

Special thanks to the following people who went above and beyond to give their time, also to those who preferred to stay anonymous:

Asher Goldstein, Caroline Bielkhammar, Casey Maier, Erik Stenström, Hammam Skaik, Helena Balthammar, Helene Hedebris, Lars Stjernkvist, Mia Sköld, Roberto Felizia, Sahar Burhan, Samantha McCorkell, Yaghia Narsisian, Zoran Slavnic

Ethnic and Migration Studies (EMS), class of 2018

Voices of Norrköping is a collection of collaborative projects on the topics of migration, diversity, and belonging. These projects, infor­med by the stories and standpoints of a variety of people, were cre­ated by master’s students of the Ethnic and Migration Studies programme at REMESO, Linköping University.

While Norrköping is unique in many ways, it also serves as an example of how a city and its community can be transformed by immigration. The articles, essays and art projects presented in this compendium take Norrköping and its inhabitants as a starting point for the discussion of issues which have a broader societal resonance.

This publication, the second in a series, would not have been possible without the input and support of those whose voices are featured. Throughout our master’s programme, we have explored the idea that each person’s experience is informed by their position at the in­tersection of different privileges and oppressions. By understanding that each individual has a unique worldview, we can appreciate that their stories may differ substantially. As a class, we hope that presenting a broad range of views will illustrate that there is no single narrative when it comes to the themes discussed.

By listening to these voices, we can begin to understand, and by understanding, we can become more critical of how these themes are presented and dealt with. While some voices are still yet to be heard, we hope that future installments of this series will continue to encourage listening and understanding.

Ethnic and Migration Studies (EMS)

Class of 2019

Norrkoping – City of Immigration 2017” is the outcome of an mbitious collaborative project conducted by the Master students in Ethnic and Migration Studies at REMESO, Linkoping University. The very first in a new series of publications from this one-year-old graduate program, this text draws on the diverse research interests of the twenty-three contributors, hailing from twenty-one different regions who have provided a holistic picture of immigration to Norrkoping today.

Students worked as individuals and in groups to produce different journalistic pieces which tackle important themes such as integration, identity politics, representation, multiculturalism, racism, right-wing politics and more. The report reflects the diversity of migrant experiences in Norrkoping, including snapshots of multicultural artistic spaces, a statistical overview of residential segregation, life stories, field work and interviews woven together with analysis of the challenges encountered by immigrants to our city.

Immigrant voices are centered in an attempt to deconstruct stereotypes and to underscore how integration is a two-way process where everyone—both the ‘host’ society and migrants themselves—can contribute. How different groups of migrants are coping with personal trauma is explored by investigation into integration projects financed by the municipality and civil society organizations. The admirable work of these organizations is emphasized in reports from art exhibitions, interviews at social and supportive spaces and profiles of solidarity organizations. In a similar vein, the challenges faced by the local authorities are highlighted in order to equip the reader with a wider overview of the institutional and political obstacles to improving integration outcomes in Norrkoping.

The strength of this report stems from the innovative and collaborative work of the contributors; their enthusiasm, to be agents of positive social and political change radiates from their texts. United to combat exclusion, racism, sexism, and all forms of discrimination in the world, we are deeply grateful for their thoughtful insights and effort. Any errors or omissions, are of course, our own.

Asher, Mavis, Asbjorn & Rudeina