Sara Hormozinejad

Toronto Metropolitan University/University of Toronto

Visiting The University of British Columbia

September – November 2026

Sara Hormozinejad a researcher with the Global Migration Institute and the Bridging Divides research program, based at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her project examines how naturalized citizens and eligible permanent residents in Canada understand citizenship, comparing the perspectives and experiences of those who choose to naturalize with those who opt out.

Sara is also a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Toronto. Her SSHRC-funded dissertation investigates how migration aspirations are socially constructed and transformed throughout the migration trajectory, from emigration to settlement and return. Focusing on Iranian migrants, her research foregrounds the temporal dynamics of mobility and the cultural and imaginative dimensions that shape migration aspirations across transnational contexts. Sara holds an MA in Anthropology from the University of Toronto and a BA (Honours) in Anthropology from the University of Calgary.

Research focus while a Bridging Divides Scholar Exchange Fellow:

During her research stay, she will collaborate closely with Vince Hopkins and his team on the Individual and Structural Barriers to Citizenship Acquisition project, to integrate qualitative findings from TMU with quantitative UBC-based workstreams, co-author publications, and prepare joint conference presentations. Additional planned activities include research consultations with CMS co-directors to refine theoretical frameworks and presenting at seminars for peer feedback.

Relevant Publications

Hormozinejad, Sara. 2026. “Migrants as Homo Affectus: How Emotion Shapes Return Migration among Iranians.” (external link) Emotion, Space and Society 59(101155):1–8.

Hormozinejad, Sara. Forthcoming. “Dreaming the West: How Migration Imaginaries Are Constructed and Transformed among Middle-class Iranians.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

Hormozinejad, Sara. 2023. “‘Why Did You Return?’: North-South Return Migration and Family Ties in the Case of Iran.” Socialpolicy.ch 2023(2):1–19.