This book explores the history of migration in Switzerland from the late nineteenth century to the present day. It brings together recent scholarship on Switzerland in the field of cultural and migration studies, as well as migration history, and combines various research approaches from postcolonial studies, transnational studies, border studies, and history of knowledge. Since the late nineteenth century, Switzerland has gradually transformed into a migration society, becoming one of the countries in Europe with the highest percentage of migrant population. While migration has become one of most contentious issues in Swiss public and political debates, the volume also shows how migrants have developed various strategies to deal with the country’s discriminatory policies and distinct institutional settings. The authors of the volume convincingly challenge the view that Switzerland still does not represent a migration (or even post-migrant) society and substantially contributes to the long overdue acknowledgement of Switzerland in migration history and studies at the international level.

Changing Perspectives on Migration History and Research in Switzerland: An Introduction; Barbara Lüthi and Damir Skenderovic.- Part I: Epistemic Landscapes: Constructing and Deconstructing Categories.-  The ‘Sociologic’ of Immigration. A Case Study on the Emergence of Social Research on Migration and Integration in Switzerland, 1960–1973; Kijan Espahangizi.- Labelling Migrants in Switzerland: Social, Political and Symbolic Dimensions; Francesca Poglia Mileti.- Democratising Switzerland: Challenging Whiteness in Public Space; Patricia Purtschert.- Part II: Migration Regimes: Enforcement and Consolidation.- Deportations of ‘Vagabonds’ and ‘Romanichas’ in Geneva and Haute-Savoie (1900-1914): Connecting Categories of Exclusion; Irma Gadient.- Migration in Swiss Broadcasting (1960s-1970s): Players, Policies, Representations; Nelly Valsangiacomo.- Culturalisation of Gender: When Ivan Meets Maria; Francesco Garufo and Christelle Maire.- The Vitality of Borders: Migration Through and Bordering Practices in Switzerland; Jana Häberlein.- Part III: Migrants’ Participation and Resistance.- Migrant Associations: Political Opportunities and Structural Ambivalences. The Case of the Federation of Free Italian Colonies in Switzerland; Toni Ricciardi and Sandro Cattacin.- The Rights of Those Who Have No Rights. Italian Parent Committees in Local Educational Politics in Zurich (1960-1980); Philipp Eigenmann.- Social Assistance and Self-Organised Interest Groups. The Counselling Centre for Foreign Workers and Italian Educational Institutions in Basle-City (1960s-1980s); Flavia Grossmann.- Part IV: Transnational Entanglements and Exchanges .- Traces of Migration: Postcards Between Switzerland and Brazil, 1900–1930; Stefan Wellgraf.- Switzerland, Decolonisation, and Migration: The Case of the Association of Swiss Despoiled of Algeria or Overseas Possessions; Marisa Fois.- ‘Swissness Overseas’: Whiteness and the Boundaries of Belonging; Angela Sanders.-Re-negotiating Switzerland from Abroad. An Ethnographic Perspective on Citizenship-Belonging Nexuses; Seraina Müller and Aldina Camenisch.- Epilogue; Donna Gabaccia.