<div>There is a thirst in the literary world for authentic stories. Literature, for good or bad, has played a critical role in providing snapshots into communities and defining or reinforcing stereotypes. It is well documented that Jewish and African American communities have long struggled to ensure representation in literary works. In parallel form, the developing field of South Asian literature identifies the need for authors, publishers, scholars and readers to pay close attention to the representation of South Asians in literary works. While South Asian diasporic literature has gained popularity over the past decade, little attention has been paid to how Sikhs, as a minority group, are represented in this medium.
The term diaspora is used to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture. While sharing similar themes that exist in South Asian literature as a whole, novels dealing with the diasporic Sikh experience have mainly focused on four themes: immigration (particularly to the farming communities of California), identity (the external identity or lack of), events (such as 1984 and 9/11) and a discussion of social issues affecting the community (mental illness, caste, gang violence, honor killings and gender roles).
One cannot discuss ethnic literature without also discussing authenticity. Authors who write about certain cultures and communities are often scrutinized for their identification with or experience with that culture and/or community. It is clear that readers like to recognize and relate to characters in books
More...
The term diaspora is used to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture. While sharing similar themes that exist in South Asian literature as a whole, novels dealing with the diasporic Sikh experience have mainly focused on four themes: immigration (particularly to the farming communities of California), identity (the external identity or lack of), events (such as 1984 and 9/11) and a discussion of social issues affecting the community (mental illness, caste, gang violence, honor killings and gender roles).
One cannot discuss ethnic literature without also discussing authenticity. Authors who write about certain cultures and communities are often scrutinized for their identification with or experience with that culture and/or community. It is clear that readers like to recognize and relate to characters in books
More...