Narratives of Trauma: Memory, Space, and Generational Identity among Muslim Meskhetians

Abstract

The historical experience of Muslim Meskhetians (Ahıska Turks) illustrates how historical trauma transforms into a dynamic system of social identity. This study analyzes the intergenerational transmission of traumatic memory and the formation of trans-territorial traumatic identity (TTI), through which the group adapts to multilocal and transnational contexts. The empirical material is based on narrative interviews conducted between 2004 and 2025 in Georgia and the United States with members of the community. The research is grounded in theories of traumatic memory, hybridity, and transnationalism. Findings show that traumatic events – such as the Stalin-era deportation and the Ferghana conflict – have developed into intergenerationally transmitted emotional and social systems. Family narratives, rituals, and symbolic practices are central to the mechanisms of memory transmission. Distinct generational strategies have emerged: the older generation preserves traditional identities and symbols of trauma, while younger individuals construct hybrid identities that blend emotional attachments to ancestral history with current social realities. Particular attention is given to the symbolic construction of homeland and emotional space. Akhaltsikhe and its surrounding region have become emotional reference points in the absence of physical return. Moreover, transnational networks and trans-territorial marriage chains generate social and emotional capital, supporting adaptation to global mobility and cultural change. Based on these insights, the study proposes a theoretical model of trans-territorial traumatic identity (TTI), which synthesizes traumatic memory, hybrid adaptation, and transnational linkages. This model offers a useful analytical framework not only for the Muslim Meskhetian case, but also for broader studies of forced displacement.