Homesickness as a construct of the migrant experience

This paper is an exploration of the concept of homesickness and the migrant's relation to the idea of home. It draws on the writer's personal experience of Caribbean migration—discussing different phases and facets in the evolution of the construct that includes notions of essence and hybridity. It suggests how a return to ‘home’ and roots can broaden the understanding of what it means to inhabit the modern world—and also help in the continuous process of reconstructing identity.