Hospitality through hospitableness : offering a welcome to migrants through employment in the hospitality industry

The chapter explores one of the under-conceptualised paradoxes of migration in the contemporary world. Brought to us through the work of Derrida (1999, 2000) and others, newly settled migrants, still very much guests in their own right, are widely asked to deliver the hospitality that welcomes fellow guests (tourists) to a community and destination. The paradox lies in expectations of this welcome, with its overlays of place, stories, representation and culture. Through four narratives showing immigrant experiences of integration processes of migrant workers within the hospitality industry in Norway, the chapter addresses the complexity of this paradox and engages with the role changes from guest to host that take place during the journey to integration. Finally, the chapter discusses managerial implications and suggests possible solutions.