Intersecting Diasporas

Abstract

With increased mobility enabled by evolving technology, the world experiences higher rates of migration and globalisation than ever before. This phenomenon has led, in recent years, to a high volume of literature about migration and diaspora, i.e. literature which deals with the general theme of transnationalism. The term transnational, in its simplest guise, refers to the relations between citizens of different nation states and the networks which link them. It also refers to the complex subjectivity of those who migrate. Scholars emphasise that transnationalism, because of heterogeneity and diversity, gives rise to a site for dynamic social and cultural change. At the same time, continuity is a necessary feature of this site. The co-existence of change and continuity (a focused process of adaptation and assimilation which simultaneously considers the role of memory, the past, and ties to homeland) then is also a defining element of transnationalism. The tensions and struggles which arise from this paradox have a radical impact on the construction of subjectivities as represented in this literature. Thus the term transnational comes to refer not only to the geographic multi-locationality of authors or characters, but also to their potential for subversion of national, ethnic and other cultural or political identities/affiliations, and it is this potential for subversion which is the main focus of this themed issue.