Keeping the soul alive : Beltin in diaspora and their ongoing relationships with the city

Abstract

Throughout their lives, people tend to carry their identities wherever they go and wherever they decide to settle. In other words, the characteristics which make our home a place of memory are greatly tied to our identities. This thesis focuses on the concept of diaspora in relation to Malta’s capital city. The internal migration from Valletta gathered pace mostly in the 1970s, when many Valletta residents (Beltin) moved away from their city to other areas around Malta for several reasons. The main question is, if and how people from Valletta who moved away from their place of origin continue to relate with it. More specifically, this study investigates three main questions. The first asks whether the Beltin diasporics still feel a sense of belonging with Valletta; the second looks at some of the ways in which they do so and the third explores the social identities of Beltin, including their collective and individual memories and identities.