"Daughters of Gujarat in the diaspora": immigrant women, identity and agency in Natal
Loading...
Date
2013
Authors
Hiralal, Kalpana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State
Abstract
Through the narrative genre the author examines issues of identity and agency amongst 15 Gujarati
Hindu immigrant women who arrived in Natal (South Africa) between 1943 and 1953. The aims of
this article are three-fold: Firstly, through the narratives the author seeks to highlight the many socioeconomic
challenges that immigrant Indian women faced in the diaspora. Secondly, issues of identity
are examined in the context of “home” and “belonging”. While the author argues that Gujarat, their
place of birth, is no longer perceived as their “homeland”, it plays an important role in constructing
immigrant women’s ethnic identity. Thirdly, the article explores notions of agency and argues that given
their personal, economic and social circumstances, Gujarati Hindu women were able to negotiate new
roles for themselves within the household. Migration generated new challenges within the traditional
household which resulted in some women exercising more agency than others. By examining notions of
agency, this article seeks to dispel the myth of “passive”, “docile” Indian women, devoid of autonomy
in their lives. It hopes to add to the current theoretical debates on immigrant women, agency and
identity with reference to Gujarati speaking Hindu women in South Africa, a relatively unexplored area
of research.
Description
Keywords
Gujarati women, Immigrants, Identity, Agency, Indian, Diaspora, Ethnicity, Narratives
Citation
Hiralal, K. (2013). "Daughters of Gujarat in the diaspora": immigrant women, identity and agency in Natal. Journal for Contemporary History, 38(1), 1-21.