Home away from home: negotiating a sense of belongingness among Punjabi diaspora in Netherlands

The paper examines mutable aspects of home and a sense of belongingness among the Punjabi diaspora in the Netherlands. The study analyses two generations of the Punjabis: the first generations originating from Punjab who had settled in the host country since the late nineteenth century and the second generations who were born and brought up in the Netherlands. The present study is based on transnationalism and narrative record which is qualitative in nature. The longitudinal data has been used with 20 open-ended interviews, which include 13 from first-generation and 7 from second-generation Punjabis. The study highlights generational differences within the Punjabi diaspora regarding their identity and sense of belongingness. First-generation Punjabis tend to strongly identify with their Punjabi heritage and often prefer to maintain their status within the diaspora. Conversely, second-generation Punjabis have embraced Dutch society, leading to a significant shift in their sense of belonging and home.