Title: Whiteness and the othering of Polish nurses in Norway
Author: Micheline van Riemsdijk
Affiliation: University of Colorado
Abstract: This paper aims to connect insights from geographical research on immigration with literatures on race, specifically whiteness studies, to investigate how Norwegian employers racialize Polish nurses. This paper examines grounded cultural politics, linking whiteness to the experiences of Polish nurses in the Norwegian labor market. In addition, this paper investigates the processes of othering of white migrants, by investigating relations between the majority population and immigrant workers.
Most of the literature on race and migration has addressed the visible differences of immigrants, and marked places of difference have become the focus point for empirical studies. Immigrant status has implicitly been racialized, with an emphasis on differences between migrants and the host society. This study will contribute to migration literature by focusing on the construction of invisible minorities and the construction of racial-ethnic and immigrant identities.
The data in this paper were collected during fieldwork in Oslo, Norway from January 2005-February 2006. In-depth interviews were carried out with 15 Norwegian employers, 20 Polish nurses, representatives for the Norwegian nursing association and the Norwegian Ministry of Health. Findings indicate that in the case of invisible minorities, immigration is not about race, but about culture, language, and norms. Norwegian employers emphasize the socio-cultural differences between Norwegian and Polish nurses, focusing on language problems and cultural issues. Polish nurses internalize these distinctions, and have developed strategies to cope with these processes of othering.