Abstract
Abstract
This reflective essay interrogates the complex interplay between identity, memory and migration through personal narrative, historical analysis and cultural representation. It draws on the intersections of my own personal experiences with the academic research I have conducted, interrogating anew the concepts of memory, identity and collective ideas of belonging as manifested by the documents we are entitled to carry. Using the Netflix series
Transatlantic
as an entry point, it explores how identity documents – passports, permits and bureaucratic records – shape individual experiences and collective histories, particularly in contexts of displacement and state surveillance. I connect these depictions to my own migratory background, highlighting the privileges of dual citizenship and the inequalities embedded in what Schahar termed the ‘birthright lottery’. Drawing on archival research into Irish and British travel permit systems during the Second World War, the piece situates historical identity regimes within contemporary debates on datafication, statelessness and the governance of migration. It further reflects on the development of the History of Identity Documentation in European Nations (HIDDEN) research network (funded by Cooperation in Science and Technology [COST], CA21120), which examines the past, present and future of identity documentation. Ultimately, the essay argues for critical engagement with how identity is constructed, contested and experienced across time.