Senegalese migrants in Italy: Beyond the assimilation/transnationalism divide

This article is subdivided into three parts. The first provides readers with an overview of contemporary Senegalese "culture of migration" and explores how it translates into the Italian experience of West African immigration. In the second part, drawing on our and other colleagues' empirical work, we discuss the diversification of Senegalese strategies to enter Italian public space and to strengthen transnational connections with the context of origin. In the final part, we take into account the experiences of the "second generation" and the engagement with projects facilitating the return of the elderly. We conclude by urging researchers to go beyond the assimilation versus transnationalism dichotomy to enhance our understanding of West African transnational migration into Southern Europe.