Borders and Marginality among Indian Immigrants:
The Praxis of Relationships, Interactions, Religion & Culture
In this roundtable, we will build on critical race feminism and the literature on immigration as a frame for our personal narratives concerning the intersections of gender, ethnicity, religion, and culture. We see ethnicity as multifaceted, and we conceive of culture as layered as well. We will discuss the cohort and time differences between our stories as we describe how immigration from India has affected our positionality. Anindita is an immigrant from India, coming to the U.S. to pursue her doctoral degree. Anisa's father immigrated from India, and her mother was a Virginian. Our personal narratives also differ in religious background (and the ethnicity that these religions reflect), as Anisa's father was a Muslim and Anindita is Hindu. Our positionality and how it plays out in interaction with families and others will be part of the roundtable discussion. We will also discuss how research and theorizing has not kept pace with the worldwide move toward religious fundamentalism.
“Haciendo Conciencia” [Consciousness-Raising]:
Building Resilience among Salvadorian Female Youth
This roundtable presents the findings of a qualitative study (32 in-depth interviews) with Salvadorian mothers and their daughters living in Canada. In particular, discussion will focus on the strategies that mothers and daughters utilized to navigate the challenges that their cultural transition entailed. The findings contribute to the literature specifically by drawing attention to the importance of ethnic pride in helping mothers and their daughters bridge significant strains that arise in their acculturation process. The strains occurred due to (a) contextual factors such as anti-immigrant sentiment, and (b) value transmission across generations in a context different than their own.
Detroit's Arab American Community
The Arab population of S.E. Michigan is considered the largest outside of the Middle East. It contains both Muslim and Christian families from several countries, many of whom have been in the United States for over 100 years. Arab families continue to face forms of racism formerly outlawed for other groups in the United States. Across generations this has led to stressors for individuals and families in the area. This roundtable will trace the movement of Dearborn's Arab populations from its initial mass migration of males to work in Detroit's auto industry, the successful mobilization efforts in the face of racism targeted at the groups during the 1980s, through to its current status as a diverse, growing and vibrant community.
Facilitated Marriages and Spatially Dispersed Social Networks:
Migrant Families and their use of Transnational Ties
Using qualitative data gathered from interviews with 50 individuals of South Indian origin living in the Greater Toronto Area, this roundtable focuses on migrant families living in urban settings who are simultaneously embedded in multi-local social fields. By focusing on the interplay between national residence and cross-national connection through an exploration of the marital selection process among individuals who are born and raised in Canada, yet have ties to India, this roundtable provides three contributions to existing literature: Firstly, marital selection choices are made within social worlds that span more than one place, which adds new criteria — country of origin and country of residence — to the marriage options of the second generation. Secondly, migrants and their offspring use this transnational social space and its corresponding transnational social network to help them locate suitable partners. Thirdly, these transnational ties provide access to a larger social kinship group, which serves to expand the social network of migrants.
Multigenerational Southeast Asian Immigrant Families
Working with multigenerational transnational families raises issues of gender, class, ethnicity, geography, and interaction with the wider society. Often the expectations of the ethnic community and its families are at odds with those of the family members who want to improve overall well-being for themselves and others like them by modifying and implementing programs targeting their population. Examples of how this has been done in S.E. Michigan will include a program for S.E. Asian women who have experienced intimate violence, and a program for migrant workers in rural Michigan. Implications for those non-members of these communities who are committed to working with them are also highlighted.
Muslim Family Feminism:
An Oxymoron?! A Contradiction in Terms?!
In this roundtable, I offer multiple 'mini-narratives' as a scholar, teacher, therapist, Iranian, woman, activist, and researcher. The first narrative is my own reflectivity about my work and my reflections on being caught in the borders as a Muslim woman. A second narrative weaves between and across colonial, post colonial and white-western feminist analyses of “Muslim women.” A third narrative is my current theoretical argument that Islamic feminism is inextricably embedded in understanding Muslim family dynamics. And, a fourth narrative is one of praxis, for it emphasizes Muslim women's struggles for equality, and their progress and achievements, considering their strong ties to their families. The conclusion is that Muslim feminists confronted by dilemmas imposed by colonialism, white Western feminism, and Islamic fundamentalism developed a theology of women in the context of family and Islamic tradition and are continuously translating their ideas for change into practice and action but consciously or unconsciously always within the framework of “Muslim family feminism.”
Somali Families in the U.S.:
Strengths and Challenges
This roundtable will explore the intersections of gender, religion, cultural norms, and policies related to immigrants as we examine the strengths of and challenges facing Somali families currently living in the United States. The roundtable will include a description of “what we know” about Somali families living in Minnesota, but more importantly, discussion will take place about how other immigrant families maintain their beliefs and behaviors in racially, economically and ethnically segregated communities. Is it easier to do so when everyone around you believes and behaves similarly? Additionally, as we review the “needs” or challenges facing Somali families, are there trends or similarities that exist among other immigrant family groups that we as family scholars can address…or would it be more helpful for us to simply stay out of the way?
