Learning to live with discrimination: Experiences of two asylum seekers with misrecognition in Italy

Darasimi Oshodi

doi:10.3384/rela.2000-7426.4448

Authors

Darasimi Oshodi University of Milano-Bicocca https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8239-4178

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3384/rela.2000-7426.4448

Keywords:

asylum seeking, discrimination, experiential learning, misrecognition

Abstract

Otherness is one issue that comes up when discussing migration, and when it comes to asylum seeking in Europe, the topic of discrimination is a pivotal one also due to the rise of nationalistic political parties in the last few years. This paper therefore uses narrative interviews and Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition to explore the experiences of two asylum seekers with discrimination in Italy, and how they were responding to these experiences. The aim of the paper is to highlight how discrimination impacted differently on the participants’ construction of self-identity and their different strategies when it comes to becoming part of the host society.

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