This chapter provides an overview of the transnational ties and activities of individual Surinamese, Turkish and Kurdish migrants in the Netherlands. Most statistical information on migrants in the Netherlands is collected to measure their social, cultural and economic position in the country and, in one way or another, to examine their integration. Issues related to the country of origin are thus poorly reflected in official statistics and our knowledge of the transnational orientations of individual migrants remains limited. To address this gap, I designed and supervised a survey carried out by assistants in 2004, the results of which are presented and analysed in this chapter.

The first part of the questionnaire consisted of closed questions meant to gather background information. The second part included semi-open questions and more detailed retrospective questions on concrete transnational activities in which respondents had participated, or were still involved, in both the homeland and the Netherlands. It inquired further into individual motivations to maintain transnational ties and to participate in transnational activities. What forms did such involvement take? How did it affect participation and interest in Dutch politics?

I first present some general background information on the interviewees. Subsequent sections of this chapter address specific dimensions of individual transnational involvement, inter-generational differences and the relation between interest in homeland politics and feelings of inclusion or exclusion in the Dutch political arena.

Respondents’ backgrounds

To gain insight into individual transnational involvement, the project team conducted face-to-face interviews with a total of 40 Turks, 40 Surinamese and 21 Kurds. For information on sampling, non-response, methodology and questionnaire content see Appendix A.

As one of my concerns was how transnational political involvement is reproduced in the second generation, the sample included seventeen Surinamese, twelve Turkish and two Kurdish ‘pairs’ (two individuals from the same family, in most cases of a different generation). In cases when it was not possible to find such a relative, we interviewed relatives of the same generation. Relatives did not have to belong to the same household but to the same wider family – which I expected to be just as influential (see also Bertraux & Thompson 1993). What mattered was that the two people were related by kinship and maintained regular contact.