A Polish Gaze at the Northern Irish Conflict and Its Social Aftermaths in Aleksandra Łojek's Belfast. 99 ścian pokoju (Belfast. 99 Peace Walls)

Abstract

The following article scrutinizes the situation of Polish immigrants in Northern Ireland with regard to the ongoing denominational local conflicts and the official policy of the peace process. As a literary point of reference, the article is based on a reportage written by a Polish immigrant Aleksandra Łojek – Belfast. 99 ścian pokoju (Belfast. 99 Peace Walls) (2015). The publication well illustrates the process of immigrant assimilation on an individual level, showing how the author undergoes a transformation from a tourist to a member of the local community as well as how other Polish immigrants face the same problem after having moved to Belfast. The initial lack of knowledge about the denominational division of the city’s space, and the complexity of the social relations in the Northern Irish capital, allows Łojek to make interesting observations, which even the journalists well-acquainted with the issue often fail to notice. Thus, Łojek provides a fresh look at the ongoing social conflict between Loyalists and Republicans, challenges many stereotypes associated with Belfast and Northern Ireland as well as gives voice to the Polish diaspora trying to (re)build their lives in this part of the UK.