Why do some immigrants in Czechia belong more easily than others? New research reveals how different groups negotiate their place and how hidden hierarchies of belonging emerge.
A new study by Radka Klvaňová and Ivana Rapoš Božić explores how immigrants from different parts of the world perceive their position in Czech society and how they negotiate a sense of belonging. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with immigrants from Slovakia, Vietnam, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the research reveals significant differences in their experiences.
The authors identify three main strategies (so-called cultural repertoires) that immigrants use. Slovaks rely on historical closeness and the shared legacy of Czechoslovakia, which enables relatively “privileged” integration. Vietnamese immigrants emphasize hard work and perseverance, gaining recognition but also occupying an ambivalent position. Immigrants from the MENA region more often rely on openness and individual contribution to society, yet their belonging is frequently contested.
The study shows that Czech society is not neutral toward immigrants but instead produces hierarchies of belonging that advantage some groups over others. These differences are shaped not only by migration histories but also by how national identity is understood in Czechia. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of how immigrants respond to both acceptance and exclusion in everyday life and how they actively construct their place in society.
Klvaňová, R., & Rapoš Božić, I. (2026). Privileged, ambivalent, or contested? How cultural repertoires facilitate different forms of belonging among immigrants in Czechia. Migration Studies, 14(2), mnag012. https://doi.org/10.1093/migration/mnag012
At the 22nd IMISCOE Annual Conference (1–4 July 2025), Nadya Jaworsky presented preliminary findings from our project. Her talk, held on July 2, explored the cultural sociological dimensions of migration discourses in Czechia in a presentation titled Geopolitical imaginaries of migration in Czechia: A critical cultural sociological decentering of migration studies.
Our researchers presented findings and methodological reflections on ethnoracial othering at the 10th Ethnography and Qualitative Research Conference in Trento, contributing to panels on racialization and inventive methods in ethnography.