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. Cultural Identity in the three stories and a film
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

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 .Racism
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 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.