Ashraf Rachid

This PhD dissertation investigates the role of personal relationships with ethnic majority members in immigrant integration. Drawing on research on personal relationships and networks, it explores how such connections play an important role in immigrants’ ability to adapt and settle in a new country. The dissertation examines this question by considering two dimensions of integration: labour market integration and civic integration. The findings demonstrate that immigrants who have close relationships to ethnic majority members are more likely to be in employment and to feel a stronger sense of belonging in the host country. At the same time, the dissertation highlights the barriers immigrants face in forming these relationships, including language difficulties, cultural barriers, and discouraging political rhetoric and citizenship policies. Despite these challenges, those who establish relationships with the ethnic majority gain access to vital resources and recognition, helping them navigate in society and redefine their national belonging on their own terms. By emphasizing the understudied role of ethnic majority relationships, this dissertation contributes to the field of immigrant integration. While much of the existing literature focuses on co-ethnic networks, this work reveals how relationships with the ethnic majority offer unique opportunities that co-ethnic connections alone cannot provide.

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