Chapter 4: (Im)Mobility Aspirations and Imagined Pathways of Young Migrant Descendants in Portugal

The future is the prerogative of the young and a field open to imagination and aspirations. Based on 79 in-depth interviews with young people of Chinese, Brazilian and Ukrainian descent living in Portugal, we examine the influence of migratory background on future-making, at the level of (im)mobility aspirations. What kind of aspirations do these young people put forward, and do they have the capabilities and resources available to realize these aspirations (de Haas, 2021), in terms of where (they imagine) they will live in the future? Based on their narratives, we have distinguished three prevalent imagined trajectories: (a) “returning” to their parents’ country of origin, (b) onward (intra-European Union (EU)) mobility or remigration to a third country or (c) remaining in Portugal. Examining the aspirations of migrants’ descendants gives us insight into their subjective sense of belonging and their perceived potential for upward social mobility within the structure of opportunities available in Portugal, given their family migration heritage as well as their personal life goals.