Negotiating Belonging: Language, Culture and the Making of Migrant Identity in India

Abstract

Although scholarship on internal migration in India has focused on labor mobility, economic inequality, and demographic change, comparatively less attention has been paid to the symbolic processes through which migrants negotiate their identity and belonging in host societies. This study examines how language, cultural norms, and everyday social interactions shape migrants‘ experiences in Kerala, a state widely regarded as an inclusive destination due to its welfare orientation. The study uses a multi-method design conducted in Pathanamthitta, a non-metropolitan district in central Kerala. Data sources include an interview schedule with 210 migrant workers, 22 focus group discussions, and 18 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The findings demonstrate that institutional inclusion can coexist with symbolic exclusion. While migrants gain access to employment and welfare, language, cultural expectations, and spatial segregation continue to condition their sense of belonging. This study argues that belonging is socially negotiated rather than institutionally guaranteed. Symbolic and cultural processes shape migrant identity and extend sociological understanding of internal migration in India. The study distinguishes institutional inclusion from social recognition, showing that economic incorporation does not guarantee belonging.