By Tyler Leese
A connection with
your hometown or family is important, when even just away on holiday.
Diaspora is described a group or community which migrates and lives
in another country, while still maintaining connections (being
online, offline etc) with their place of origin. An example would be the Chinese populations
living in cities such as Melbourne. The construction of China Town is a
way of keeping place with Chinese origin, whilst still providing for the
Chinese community. This transnational approach not only helps the
Chinese community, it also raises the per-capita income for the city
and creates higher levels of wealth for Melbourne. Furthermore, (Kuttainen, 2015)
mentions that space becomes place when the meaning is transcribed.
Image From: https://themabelkwong.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_6792.jpg
Migrating
populations and even overseas students, business people or travelers,
use social media as a means of communicating and keeping socially
connected with their family and home. During my study of Instagram, I
have followed many people who live temporarily in Australia, but
migrated from countries such as Singapore, China or America. Food is
the most common way of keeping a connection with one’s home or
country. Users regularly take pictures of their meals and share on
Instagram with their family, friends or relatives who comment and
create conversations. As well as migrants, travelers also regularly
share pictures which relate to their home or culture. (Ma Mung, 2005)
mentions that identity is developed through migrating and sharing a
common origin. Place and identity is important for migrants who are
living abroad for the first time. Familiar surroundings and an
opportunity to interact with people of their networks, is vital in
maintaining their narrative. Social Media enables this process to
occur with ease of maintaining communication. Another user who I
follow is from China; while completing her study in Australia, she
maintained contact with her family by sharing photographs of Chinese
meals, Chinese culture in Australia, which helped her stay connected
with home. In conclusion, regardless forced or chosen migration, it is only natural for nostalgia to occur during the process of change from one country to another. Social Media makes this change easier.
References:
Ma Mung, E. (2005). Diaspora, Spatiality, Identities. Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Kuttainen, V. (2005). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place: Week 7: People Networks. (Power Point Presentation). Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Image Reference:
Kwong, M. Asian Australian. Multiculturalism [Image]. Retrieved from https://themabelkwong.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_6792.jpg
I find that I disagree with your example of Chinatowns as ways of keeping place with origin. While they are indisputably places of culture, this culture is often gimmicky and caters more to Westerners than native Chinese people. There are many Chinese communities that have successfully separated themselves from the Chinatown identity, such as the community in Sunnybank, QLD. Situated around 16km from the Brisbane CBD, more than 40% of the population in this suburb is made up of people born overseas, with most coming from Taiwan and China (Moore, 2011). The Asian population has thrived in Sunnybank since the mid-1900s and with a plethora of Asian restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, butchers and more, this place has become known as the “real Chinatown.” So while the concept of Chinatowns is an important cultural tool, I believe members of the Chinese diaspora have found far greater success and livelihood in forging a community identity with original values, yet fewer ties to stereotype.
ReplyDeleteReference
Moore, T. (2011, March 4). For Brisbane’s true Chinatown, look outside the Valley. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au
I found your ideas about nostalgia and it’s relation to diaspora to be very interesting. Your anecdote regarding the women studying in Australia made some interesting points that I agree with however I find that I don’t quite agree with your thoughts on nostalgia driving diasporic connections. Kuttainen (2015) states that the diasporic community, in this case the Chinese population in Australia, exerts pressure on younger individuals to maintain connections to their homeland. In regards to your blog, you suggest that people use food as a means of maintaining this connection with their family and I thought that this was a perfect example of this phenomenon. I know that my experience with Instagram has had a lot of photographs of food.
ReplyDeleteReference
Kuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002 Week Seven Lecture Slides. Retrieved from https://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au