Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship: Gendered Experiences of Italian Migrant Women in Ireland

De Tona, Carla

This book investigates the lived experiences of Italian migrant women in Ireland. Despite the longstanding presence of Italian migrants in Ireland, this diverse group of women occupies a marginal position in a migration history that is frequently overlooked and underexplored in mainstream migration research. This book conceptualizes their condition through the lens of a "double diaspora"—a condition marked by dual invisibility as both migrants and women—, while also underscoring the sustained importance of their roles as agentic participants in complex, multilayered forms of transnational belonging.

Drawing on more than two decades of reflexive and participatory ethnographic research, the book is grounded in rich longitudinal and multigenerational insights into continuity and change within diasporic life. More than 50 interviews with Italian women spanning first, second, and third generations of migrants reveal how personal storytelling becomes a powerful tool for negotiating gender roles and resisting marginalization. At the same time, the double diaspora of Italian migrant women operates as a socially embedded strategy of boundary-making, enabling the construction of collective diasporic identities that are both enduring and fluid. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in migration studies, diaspora studies, and gender studies.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2026-12-10

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9789819204069

DOI:

Dimensions: 210cm x148cm

Pages: