Identity

Identity change is one of the most significant phenomena refugees face after immigrating to a new country. While Spaniards exist as members of the in-group, Moroccan refugees are caught between who they were before immigrating and who they’re going to be. As Moroccan identities shift to align more closely with the Spanish norm, many refugees find the process of returning home difficult. Moroccans are better adapted to the Spanish culture and lifestyle the more time they spend in Spain; however, this embrace of culture leads to changes in one’s identity.

Moroccan refugees—especially children and adolescents—assimilate to comfortably navigate within the Spanish host culture. However, as they begin to adapt, these refugees risk disassociating themselves from their Moroccan identity. Spaniards form ideas of the self within the comfort of their own cultural, social, and political environment, while Moroccan refugees struggle to determine who they are and how they identify in the host culture.