摘要
This study examines how the process of relocating has influenced on the strategy of identity of Muslim Meskhetians, the unique group from Georgia whit experiences of multiple forced migrations and displacements in the 20th and 21st century. In the 40s of 20th century, as a result of Stalin＇s policy to clean the southern border of the Soviet Union from the ＂undesirable peoples＂, the Muslim population, primordially comprised of the Turkish-speaking Meskhetians, was deported from the Caucasus to the Central Asian republic of Soviet Union. The violent clashes in the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan in 1989, Muslim Meskhetians have fled to Russia. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, they lived in Russian Federation during 20 years without citizenship and any right. In 2005, the United States government granted refugee status to Muslim Meskhetians, and they moved to the USA. We combined the in-depth interviews with the immigrants, who live in the states of Pennsylvania and Illinois State of the USA, to illustrate the changes and effects of the relocation on the Muslim Meskhetian strategies of identity. Drawing upon theoretical conceptualizations of socialization and identity strategies of C. Camilleri, this study finds that Muslim Meskhetian immigrants are carefully negotiating strategy of identity in the face of displacement.
