Migrants and their Cultural Identities

1. Migrants and their Cultural Identities • Immigration and its Push and Pull factors • Five kinds of diaspora: • Victim(e.g. Jews, Africans, Armenians), • Labour (Indian, Chinese), • Trade (Chinese and Lebanese), • Imperial (the British), • Cultural/Economic diasporas (the Caribbean).

2. Middle Passage

3. Routes of Migrations in the chosen texts

4. Immigrants and Cultural Identity • Possible Choices  But do they have a choice? • Assimilation the myth of melting pot; self-hatred • Separation/isolation Discrimination, Exclusion • Hyphenation (In-Between position)  Multiculturalism = Ghettoization

5. Cultural Identity: Multiple Influences Family and other social units

6. Mississippi Masala 1st generation in Uganda:  assimilated; but forced to leave 2nd g. In the U.S.  cultural assimilation but lack of social integration “Security"  complete isolation The Lady from Lucknow”  seek assimilation; made aware her own isolation "Insecurity"  integration to separation, identifying with money or where money is Cultural Identityin the three stories and a film

7. Neil Bissoondath Born in Arima, Trinidad, of Indian Descent • Immigrated to Canada in 1973 on his advice of his uncle, V.S. Naipaul. • Work: Digging Up the Mountains; On the Eve of Uncertain Tomorrow; Casual Brutality. • Position: -- dislikes Multiculturalism, -- sees himself as Canadian, but not Trinidadian-Canadian -- depicts reverse racism in “Dancing”; -- sees the difficulties experienced in immigration as inevitable and historical.

8. Cultural Identity: "Insecurity" • Ramgoolam’s two views of insecurity: p. 68; p. 77 Why? p. 72 • Ramgoolam and the island p. 69 • R's social position; started as a poor noble; on the fringe of events, has a store too; • Ramgoolam and History: comprehension in the past; lack of it in the present • Ramgoolam witnesses the historical changes 70 • R vs. Black power p. 71

9. Cultural Identity: "Insecurity" • the past--writing, making speech • the present--smuggling money out; from an importer (p. 70) to an exporter p. 71 ; • not trusting the mail system 72 • source of satisfaction: his bank book • from saving money to buying a house p. 73 • his Hindu devotion 73; 76(--“Security” p. 94) • his sons Vijai (68-69) and the eldest son pp. 73; -77

10. Mississippi Masala • .Introduction • Meaning of “Masala” • .Racism • Lighter forms: difference between thinking & ideas • More serious ones: banished by force; physical violence 1) white vs. non-white; 2)manager 3) lawyer; 4) Indians vs. Black

11. Mississippi Masala(2) • Turning point: Anil rushes into the room • Culture Identity • Family • Indian family vs. Black family • affected by immigrant time (short vs. long) • Individual 1)Jay (the father); 2) Mina 3) Alicia LeShay (Dimitrius’ girlfriend) • a. power b. reputation c. money • Conclusion: some questions

12. Bharati Mukherjee Sees immigration as a process of reincarnation, breaking away (killing) from the roots. • Born in Calcutta, India, in 1940, she grew up in a wealthy traditional family. • Went to America in 1961 to attend the Iowa’s Writers Workshop • Married Canadian author Clark Blaise in 1963, immigrated to Canada • Found life as a "dark-skinned, non-European immigrant to Canada" very hard and moved to the U.S.

13. "The Lady from Lucknow”: the affair & the narrator’s cultural identity • Identity of the narrator (Nafeesa Hafeez) A. Work: and her husband Iqbal --p 349 in upper-middle class; as a "not-quite" 350; 354 • How will you describe Nafeesa’s marriage? P.349 • What does “ not-quite” mean in the story? • Both Nafeesa’s husband and lover are involved with high-tech. Why does Mukherjee allude to these high-tech professions in the story?

14. "The Lady from Lucknow” (2) B. Culture: • international receptions p. 351--aphasia, vs. one who stay back • the past--Muslim; the story from her neighborhood, the novels 352 • related to her affair: • a woman who wants to get out 350 • Nafeesa at James' house 354

15. “The Lady from Lucknow” (3) C. The affair • What is the significance of the allusion to the Barbara Pym’s novels? P. 352; 354 • Nafeesa seems to pay special attention to clothing, such as James’s red shirt, his “old T-shirt and lemon-pale boxer shorts,” and her own new underwear. What do these details about clothing signify? D. Climax: p. 355 • Why does Nafeesa refuse to hide in the bathroom when James’s wife is back? What does the wife’s reaction to Nafeesa signify?

16. “The Lady from Lucknow” (4) E. Ending: • Why does Nafeesa call herself “a shadow-temptress” and “another involvement of a white man in a pokey little outpost”? • The ending and the major images related to identity--heart 349; as a golf ball 350; 356 • What is the connection between the neighbor’s love story and Nafeesa’s own story?

17. Cultural Identity: “Digging up the Mountain” • Bissoondath’s criticism of the nation p. 2 • Hari’s sense of identity • the past--Hari • & politics --familiar with the minister; in-between two parties • & the land -- the mountain; “land of milk and honey” • Independence --Hari’s stores closed; the revolver • from planting grass to digging up the mountain

18. “Security” • Thesis: Mr. Ramgoolam’s sense of homelessness is the result of one-way immigration that also leads to the lack of belongingness. Struggling between the nostalgic complex and conflicts in reality, Mr. Ramgoolam faces not only rootlessness but helpless confinement.

19. “Security” • .Introduction • .Background Information: Bissoondath and Trinidad • .Story Setting • .The Ramgoolam’s house in Caribbean Islands • .Apartment in Toronto - Images of confined space and the open space • .The degradation of social status • .“Come on down”  going up  lights • .Mercedes convertible  Honda

20. “Security”:Mr. Ramgoolam’s One-Way trip • .Inner Struggle • .Away from home • .confrontation to the new environment • .house – security • .lack of belongingness • .Poor health • .Gentleman at large – parasite complex • .Loneliness • .Nostalgia • .re-search for religion • .memory from India – the motherland • .Tradition v.s. Modern • .Funeral • Vacuum v.s. broom

21. “Security” • .Mr. Ramgoolam’s relationship with others • .Domestic relationship • .Mr. R. v.s. wife • .Mr. R. v.s. sons • .Social relationship • e.g. searching for a job in Toronto

22. “Security” • .Conclusion • Bissoondath’s major theme is “the lack of belongingness” which is somehow the sense of security that Mr. Ramgoolam lacks.