Migrants and their Cultural Identities z Immigration and

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

Middle Passage

Routes of Migrations in the chosen texts

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

Cultural Identity: Multiple Influences Family and other social units

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

Neil Bissoondath Born in Arima, Trinidad, of Indian Descent z Immigrated to Canada in 1973 on his advice of his uncle, V. S. Naipaul. z Work: Digging Up the Mountains; On the Eve of Uncertain Tomorrow; Casual Brutality. z 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.

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

Cultural Identity: "Insecurity" zthe past--writing, making speech zthe present--smuggling money out; from an importer (p. 70) to an exporter p. 71 ; ynot trusting the mail system 72 ysource of satisfaction: his bank book yfrom saving money to buying a house p. 73 yhis Hindu devotion 73; 76(--“Security” p. 94) yhis sons Vijai (68 -69) and the eldest son pp. 73; 77

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

Mississippi Masala(2) z. Turning point: Anil rushes into the room z. Culture Identity ØFamily x. Indian family vs. Black family xaffected by immigrant time (short vs. long) ØIndividual 1)Jay (the father); 2) Mina 3) Alicia Le. Shay (Dimitrius’ girlfriend) y a. power b. reputation c. money y. Conclusion: some questions

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

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

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

“The Lady from Lucknow” (3) C. The affair y. What is the significance of the allusion to the Barbara Pym’s novels? P. 352; 354 y. 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 z Why does Nafeesa refuse to hide in the bathroom when James’s wife is back? What does the wife’s reaction to Nafeesa signify?

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

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

“Security” z. 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.

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

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

“Security” z. Mr. Ramgoolam’s relationship with others y. Domestic relationship x. Mr. R. v. s. wife x. Mr. R. v. s. sons y. Social relationship ye. g. searching for a job in Toronto

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