A quest for understanding: older migrants’ wellbeing beyond integration in Sweden

Framed by Nordenfelt's concept of wellbeing as "want-equilibrium," the findings highlight understanding as both a social need and existential pursuit. While Finnish speakers' minority status eased integration, Arabic and Chinese speakers navigated systemic inclusion yet social exclusion. Resilience strategies-bicultural fluency, insular solidarity, or self-reliance-reflected Bourdieusian capital disparities. Wellbeing thus hinges on mutual recognition: migrants' adaptability and Sweden's capacity to perceive them beyond structural categories.