Feeling foreign: identity and belonging in second-generation Moroccan Dutch women

This article contributes to the literature by examining the narratives of second-generation Moroccan Dutch women regarding identity and belonging in the Dutch context. Against the backdrop of the shift towards cultural assimilation, the rise of far-right politics, and the COVID-19 pandemic, these women’s sense of identity and belonging has come under increasing pressure in the Netherlands. To conduct an exploratory analysis, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 second-generation Moroccan Dutch women living in four major cities of the Netherlands (Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht). The study found that public discourse on national identity and practices of marginalization undermine these women’s sense of belonging, while also compelling them to invest significant effort in seeking social acceptance and to draw strength from their multiple identities.