The Afterlife of Migrant Gifts

Abstract

This chapter discusses the cultural impact and adoption of migrant gifts as material remittances in Turkey. It presents a conceptual framework for exploring migration through the biographical stories of gifts brought from European countries to Turkey from the beginning of the planned Turkish labor migration in the 1960s. Gifts are a material medium to explore the change of value regimes as well as a medium to communicate migrant narratives. The perceived value of the migrant gift in its culture of origin shifts when it becomes a gift and is taken to Turkey not only because it inherits the exchange value as a gift but also because it inherits an exotic quality as it is brought to a country with a different material climate. Discussing the value shift and the adoption of the gift objects throughout their cultural biographies also enlightens us about the social and economic changes that were simultaneously occurring in Turkey. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2023.