<p>This article examines how national identity is constructed and experienced by temporary labor migrant women from Western Ukraine living in Israel during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a context in which war, migration, and gendered labor intersect in ways that render national identity particularly acute and emotionally charged. Based on 26 in-depth interviews and participant observation (2024–2026), it explores how ethno-national and civic dimensions of identity are articulated in everyday diasporic life. Ethno-national identity appears in practices such as language use, traditional foods, embroidered clothing, national symbols, and religious celebrations. Civic identity is enacted through political conversations with employers, participation in pro-Ukraine demonstrations, wartime remittances, support for volunteer networks, and return visits to Ukraine. While these dimensions are separated here for analytical purposes, in practice they closely intersect and reinforce one another. Together, they reflect transnational solidarity and deepen identification with the Ukrainian nation under conditions of war and displacement. Applying the concept of everyday nationalism, the article shows how migrant women negotiate belonging through routine actions, reaffirming identity through gendered yet empowering practices.</p>

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National Identity in Times of War: Temporary Labor Migrant Women from Western Ukraine in Israel

  • anna prashizky

摘要

This article examines how national identity is constructed and experienced by temporary labor migrant women from Western Ukraine living in Israel during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a context in which war, migration, and gendered labor intersect in ways that render national identity particularly acute and emotionally charged. Based on 26 in-depth interviews and participant observation (2024–2026), it explores how ethno-national and civic dimensions of identity are articulated in everyday diasporic life. Ethno-national identity appears in practices such as language use, traditional foods, embroidered clothing, national symbols, and religious celebrations. Civic identity is enacted through political conversations with employers, participation in pro-Ukraine demonstrations, wartime remittances, support for volunteer networks, and return visits to Ukraine. While these dimensions are separated here for analytical purposes, in practice they closely intersect and reinforce one another. Together, they reflect transnational solidarity and deepen identification with the Ukrainian nation under conditions of war and displacement. Applying the concept of everyday nationalism, the article shows how migrant women negotiate belonging through routine actions, reaffirming identity through gendered yet empowering practices.