Bodies in and out of place : embodied transnationalism among invisible immigrants : the contemporary Irish in Australia

Migration involves the physical movement of bodies in and out of place. In a world characterised by increased ease of travel and major advances in telecommunications, some have argued that, in the international arena, this movement now occurs in the context of a borderless world. This paper contests this view by emphasising the embodied nature of this movement. The experiences of 203 contemporary Irish immigrants in Australia provide evidence of the embodied underpinnings of transnational practices. Separation from extended family in one place and the anchoring effect of family formation in another place are shown to be key affective drivers for maintaining transnational social spaces. Likewise, other embodied attributes such as 'whiteness' and accent play important roles not only in terms of citizenship and belonging, but also in providing further motivation for maintaining transnational social spaces. Findings from this study of an invisible immigrant group highlight gaps in the transnationalism literature with regard to the effects of distance, whiteness, and the embodied nature of citizenship.