Cultural identity and cosmopolitan attitudes in zero - second generation

transnational relationships via materialities

Abstract:
Current research on transnational families has addressed the impact of migrants on
stayers in developing a cosmopolitan attitude (Mau et al, 2008). In contrast, while
numerous studies on the diaspora focus on how the cultural identity of migrants is
maintained, all too few emphasize the role that stayers play in this, namely, through
transnational family practices (Burholt et al., 2016).
We propose to observe and analyse the zero-second generation transnational relations
- whether the former or the latter are the ones who migrate - in view of such mutual
influences mediated by physical objects circulating between them: gifts, pictures,
books, food items etc.
Thus, we shall present how the packages from grandparents who are in the West bring
openness to the West (and through that, to the world) to grandchildren, as well as how
packages from grandparents who are in Romania try to transmit Romanian vernacular
contents. Meanwhile, influences being bi-directional, the same cultural identity-
building and cosmopolitanising effects are valid for grandparents, as well.
We have used multigenerational interviews (both onsite and online), structured as:
one child (older than 12), one parent and one grandparent, collected within the
research practice program ‘Different faces of transnational familie)’ (2018, 2019)
attended by 29 students from the Faculty of Sociology, coordinated by me - 65
participants
Some conclusion:
1) Cultural identity is transmitted deliberately by those departed, through traditional
food to items reflecting Romanian folk clothing and the Orthodox religion. A special
place is held by items meant to develop and maintain the Romanian language of
departed grandchildren
2) Cosmopolitan attitude is indirectly transmitted through foods with a local character
of the host country, products reflecting the West and especially the grandchildren who
stay at home receive foreign language books from the grandchildren
3) Affection: letters and objects crafted by grandchildren for grandparents and, of
course, the circuit of photographs.

Cultural identity and cosmopolitan attitudes in zero - second generation

transnational relationships via materialities
Viorela Ducu
Centre for Population Studies, UBB, Cluj

Context:
We propose to observe and analyse the zero-second generation transnational relations
- whether the former or the latter are the ones who migrate - in view of such mutual
influences mediated by physical objects circulating between them: gifts, pictures,
books, food items etc.
In this presentation, we shall share some of the empirical results obtained thus far.
The number of Romanians who live for various periods abroad has been risisng,
especially after 2007 - the year of Romania’s EU accession. A UN report has put
forward the number of 3.4 million Romanians living abroad in 2015. Within the EU,
Romania has been at position number 4 (after the UK, Poland and Germany) as the
number of citizens living in another EU country, and number 2 after Syria in what
concerns the rise of diaspora between 2000-2015 compared to the size of the
population. The main reasons for living abroad being work and study, most
Romanians involved in this process have been young, being followed after a certain
amount of time by their families or establishing their families abroad, a phenomenon
that has lead to a rise in the number of children born abroad.
These children have grandparents at home whom they keep in contact with. On the
other hand, some adults who left abroad have meanwhile become grandparents
abroad, since their children in Romania became parents.
Current research on transnational families has addressed the impact of migrants on
stayers in developing a cosmopolitan attitude (Mau et al, 2008). In contrast, while
numerous studies on the diaspora focus on how the cultural identity of migrants is
maintained, all too few emphasize the role that stayers play in this, namely, through
transnational family practices (Burholt et al., 2016).
Thus, we shall present how the packages from grandparents who are in the West bring
openness to the West (and through that, to the world) to grandchildren, as well as how
packages from grandparents who are in Romania try to transmit Romanian vernacular
contents. Meanwhile, influences being bi-directional, the same cultural identity-
building and cosmopolitanising effects are valid for grandparents, as well.

Repere metodologice:
We have used multigenerational interviews (both onsite and online), structured as:
one child (older than 12), one parent and one grandparent, collected within the
research practice program ‘Different faces of transnational familie)’ (2018, 2019)
attended by 29 students from the Faculty of Sociology, coordinated by me - 65
participants

Cultural identity - main themes and quotes

Cultural identity is transmitted by those at home (grandparents or
grandchildren) through physical objects that have the significance and the
objective of reinforcing the elements associated with being Romanian:
1) Traditional food cooked from produce grown in their own households
(livestock raised by them, vegetables grown at home), prepared in a traditional
style was the most often cited element of packages sent from the country abroad.
Food
“Yes, when I have the occasion, for example the must-have cheese pie or the lightly
smoked bacon” (Jeni, grandmother, Romania)
“... I like the jam made by my grandmother a lot. But I also like the vegetable spread
from Romania” (Yanik, grandson, abroad)
“... traditional food: jam, pickles, cheese, sausages, all made at home.” (Mariana,
grandmother, Romania)
“... I send him, now for Easter I have sent him, sweetbread, egg paint, since they had
none there in England and I sent him ‘pasca’, I sent him a note. (Maria,
granddaughter, Romania)

2) Traditions
Items to reflect traditional clothing and the Orthodox religion have been
recounted among products coming from the country.

“I have made Elena (the granddaughter) a folk costume to take to Spain or here if she
goes to a wedding somewhere for people to see that she is a Maramureș girl and for
Paul (the grandson) I made a nice little costume so that both can be properly clothed.”
(Gica, grandmother, Romania)
“... through the folk clothes, for example folk shirts, in order to keep our tradition
alive for them.” (Jeni, grandmother, Romania)

The Romanian language

3) In what concerns grandparents at home - they also send educational materials
within packages to help their departed grandchildren learn and exercise the
Romanian language

“I have sent my granddaughter a book with proverbs and sayings, and she promised
my that she will learn one each day, I believe this helps to have a stronger connection
with Romania” (Ghiță, grandparent, Romania)
“My parents care a lot that their granddaughter exercises the Romanian language as
much as possible, so they send her all kinds of books, dictionaries” (Ileana, Ghiță’s
daughter, abroad)
“I, as a grandmother and mother, send books from the country: fiction, fairytales and
atlases… books with animals, with tales, atlases, dictionaries, all in Romanian.”
(Mariana, grandmother, Romania)

Religion
“... a consecrated bracelet, a consecrated rosary. Elena and Paul’s parents are
believers and so are an example for the children. When we shall be no more, I would
like the day to come when they will remember my name and say: ‘Grandmother has
taught us of God and of the faith’” (Gica, grandmother, România)

“... An icon received from her” (Nelu, grandson, abroad)

Cosmopolitan attitude
The objects that come from the West, sent by departed members (grandchildren
or grandparents) offer those at home the possibility to physically come into
contact with the otherness of other countries and to determine them to exit a
nationalistic unopenness.

Local food from destination areas of departed family members is part of the products
from the package coming from the West, hence culinary messages from various
countries reach the most remote villages in Romania, offering those at home an
openness to other lifestyles.

“… and foods that are specific for Italy, for example pasta or various sauces and I
think that’s about it.” (Alex, grandson, abroad)
“In order for my grandmother also to taste English dishes.” (Nelu, grandson, abroad)
“Special when I send more stuff with an Italian character, since it is normal to be…
but also things of strict necessity that they need.” (Vasilica, grandmother, abroad)

Special foreign products

For Romanians, the West already meant quality products during Communism, ones
that they only had limited access to, such coffee, sweets, cosmetics, certain clothing
items. Now, when one can find in Romania almost the same products as in Western
countries, those coming from the West are considered superior and of greater value,
conferring the idea of openness towards a higher level of civilization.

“When it was her birthday, I usually sent her a gift or stuff that don’t exist in Romania
since those brands are unknown and I sent her clothing or sweets that don’t exist in
Romania.” (Alex, grandson, abroad)
“Just what I was saying, grandmother is in her turn delighted by the sweets here. We
send her chocolate, coffees, cleaning solutions, cosmetics. She usually tells her what
her needs are and we, when we have that opportunity, take them into account.” (Anca,
granddaughter, abroad)
“Well, we buy them clothes, we buy them sweets, we buy them a ticket each to a
show…” (Floarea, grandmother, abroad)
“…a tractor they sent us so that we can manage in the field and the girl (Elena the
granddaughter) brought me a scarf like they wear there at them (in Spain)” (Gica,
grandmother, Romania)

Books in foreign languages sent by grandparents to grandchildren at home,

offering them a cosmopolitan outlook towards the world

“...(grandmother) buys her a lot of book (in English), since she is passionate with
reading since she was small” (Ruxandra, Raluca’s mother, daughter, Romania)
“Books for the development of universal culture (in English or Spanish)” (Doina,
Raluca’s grandmother, abroad)

Affection through materialities

Crafted products and written messages

We must notice that in the circuit of material things, of objects that travel over
borders, some possess a special place, transmitting a greater affective load: namely,
physical letters and objects hand-crafted by the grandchildren.

“Yes, I made her a flower, I made her a flower and I sent it to her.” (Maria,
granddaughter, Romania)
“Yes, she sent me postcards, and she also made at school, last time, a paper flower
and a note in which she wrote she was missing me.” (Ioana, Maria’s grandmother,
abroad)
“Objects that are made manually, that is, small letters for grandmother.” (Larisa,
granddaughter, abroad)
“…even one of his drawings or a letter really delights me enormously, when I was in
Italy, she wrote me letters that I am still keeping now, letters that maybe not any
grandmother… has an occasion to get, written by their grandchildren” (Vasilica,
grandmother, abroad)

Photographs are other physical object full of emotional load. Although our
respondents declare that in the last years, electronic photos have prevailed as against
paper ones, almost all respondents (with one exception) have mentioned that physical
pictures of the others are present in their homes, most often printed from those
electronically received, but sometimes also physically receiving them in packages.
Here we have the declarations of one family’s members about a transnational album -
departed granddaughter - grandmother at home:
“Yes, she also sends me pictures sometimes from the places she goes to, from school,
and I put them into an album that she made me, too, and each time when she sends
another picture, I put it in there and I watch it when I miss her. I can say that it has
become a kind of a habit, already since she left we began sending pictures, it is her
sending more of them, and when she comes into the country I show her the album so
that she sees how I arranged it.” (Ana, grandmother, Romania)
“I was sending her photos from the end of the year or made during the year at school.
Here it is more like a habit, when we take pictures at school we always get several in
order to share with loved ones” (Anca, Ana’s granddaughter, abroad)
“My daughter once made her a gift, an album with pictures, and every time she goes
on a trip, she prints the pictures in order to send them to the country, it has become a
kind of a habit and they like this thing very much.” (Alexandru, Anca’s father, Ana’s
son, abroad)

Limits of the circuit of materialities

We have also met situations where only one family member sent packages into one
direction. Either the cost of sending packages was too high for those at home:

“I would like to send them, but I cannot. I cannot physically send anything.” (Raluca,
granddaughter, Romania)

Or since those departed preferred to send money, due to a lack of time:

“We send foodstuffs, we send full boxes, what I can send from here from Romania,
and they send the empty boxes back… I accidentally find some small things, a 100
EURs, pictures, greeting cards for soothing our longing for them, coffee, and what
they can pack over there”. (Rodica, grandmother, Romania)

Conclusions:
4) Cultural identity is transmitted deliberately by those departed, through traditional
food to items reflecting Romanian folk clothing and the Orthodox religion. A special
place is held by items meant to develop and maintain the Romanian language of
departed grandchildren
5) Cosmopolitan attitude is indirectly transmitted through foods with a local
character of the host country, products reflecting the West and especially the
grandchildren who stay at home receive foreign language books from the
grandchildren
6) Affection: letters and objects crafted by grandchildren for grandparents and, of
course, the circuit of photographs.