Reflection on the DSC in Northampton

My time here in Northampton has been very rewarding and educational both academically and personally.  I have enjoyed the experience of studying abroad and I feel that being away from home has helped me take part in, and appreciate, the diaspora experience. Together my modules, volunteer placement and interaction with other students have aided my education in more ways than I’m sure I can recognize in this reflection. I have grown academically and as a person from this experience and now I can’t believe it is almost time to return home.

From the time of our arrival in London the three of us girls from Canada all established a friendship that has brought us everywhere together. At the beginning I think it was a comfort used to lessen the awkward feeling of being new students in the class and to help validate and comfort our feelings of culture shock.  I didn’t predict before arriving in Northampton that I would experience any sort of culture shock because of the seeming resemblance to Canada. I assumed that because both countries spoke English, are ethnically diverse, and seemed to eat the same kinds of food that I wasn’t going to experience the much of a change. Through my experience and observation at the university and interaction with other students and community members I can now conclude at the end of my time here that I was naive.

There really are many differences that I have observed from living here for an extended period of time and through writing these journals.  A visual first impression I had of England was just how old everything looked. The buildings are beautiful to me, as someone coming from a very new country.  I felt like I was walking through a museum in many of the places I went. The age of the buildings also speaks to the history of the people and how well established the “English” culture is and the way of life is here. I felt a strong sense of comradery and unity from the people living here. From a trip to Scotland and Ireland I experienced the true division between the English and these other groups. I realize not everyone participates in this division, and it can be viewed as patriotic, but the impression I viewed was a stronger division than I had imagined. This division also helped me realize how much I still have to learn about British history.

There were social differences that I noticed upon arrival but now that I have been here for some time I’m finding it more difficult to point them out as I’m writing this entry.  When I first arrived I had a difficult time understanding some of the colloquialisms and especially experienced difficulty in understanding the different accent.  Trying to follow a humorous conversation among fellow classmates was very difficult for me at the beginning because I didn’t understand the humor at all. I have also never come across someone who wasn’t able to understand my own accent. Something so simple as the way I spoke struck up conversations about where I was from and why I was here. I had the feeling and experience of being the new exchange student because of this.  I constantly had to repeat myself in public situations because I would get blank stares after I spoke.

There were also notable differences in the education system and I feel that I benefitted from the style of teaching I experienced here. I felt schooling is very much self-motivated and self taught. Lectures are much shorter than at my home university and there are no ‘required’ textbooks, just suggested readings. No homework is assigned during the term and, for us, our whole grade was based on a final project, presentation or essay for each module.  I was given the freedom to choose to write and present on subjects that were of most interest to me.

Before arriving in Northampton I had an expectation of England being a very multicultural place. Our volunteer placement as part of this exchange was done at a South Asian Women’s organization. From this we were able to closely interact with the women from this specific diaspora. Something I didn’t realize before was how many other diasporas are present; there are large Irish and Polish diasporas in Northampton. Walking through the city I saw the many Bangladeshi and other ethnic restaurants that I expected to see but there were also many Polish shops selling specialty foods.  The ethnic restaurants have been present longer and are not only popular with the diaspora groups that run them but the English population as well. The English culture very much embraces the food of the South Asian groups that live here and the restaurants are not only frequented by the people who are looking for a little taste of home, but also by the English population. The Polish shops I went into were filled with people from Polish diaspora community. I was happy to find perogies there which is a food I often eat at home. I wasn’t able to find them in the bigger grocery stores and because of this I realized the demand the different diaspora groups create for smaller specialty food shops so they can find items from their home country.  The ‘ethnic’ restaurants, and even local pubs, sell food that is a combination English and different ethnic origins. I wrote about the ‘hybrid’ dish called Chicken Tikka Massalla and this can be found almost anywhere in England.

Chicken Tikka Massalla, as I said in my blog, has been said to be the national dish of England. I wasn’t aware of this before arriving and it is part of the reason why my understanding of the collective national identity has changed. I assumed before coming here that fish and chips was the traditional English dish. I made an assumption of this, among many other things, about England and the people living here. My assumptions were proved wrong and I realized how easily a group can be put together as a stereotype.  I don’t feel its possible for me comment on the importance of England’s national identity, or what it even is, because everyone’s individual identity is different. As I spoke about in my blog there are extremes on either end of the spectrum; there are groups that stand for unity in English identity and there are ethnic groups that are just as proud to be from their home countries. In the South Asian diasporic communities we interacted with here I found that, for some people, their identity was still with their home country even though they had lived here for most of their adult lives. On the other hand some of them were very proud to British and said that England was their home.

My experience at our volunteer placement, Dostiyo, has provided a practical setting where I could apply and evaluate the theories of diaspora. Attending this placement has helped raise my awareness of issues that this particular diaspora group faces.  It has also helped me to better understand the different identities individuals develop and why. One limitation of this experience from my point of view is that the group is the group at Dostiyo is secular. This benefits the group as it is a ‘South Asian’ women’s group and does not want to discriminate against any religion. Due to the issues surrounding Muslims in England I feel I could have benefitted from a discussion with the women there who may have been personally affected by this discrimination.

The experience of the three of us girls coming to a new country and trying to find ways to integrate and adjust was our own little diaspora experience. The three of us demonstrated some characteristics that I have learnt define diasporic communities. I feel that I can relate to some of the feelings that individuals may have from larger diaspora groups because of it, When I first arrived I felt very different and unsure of what was expected of me now that I was apart of this new community. We did things together to help create our own ‘Canadian community. Although we tried many new foods and drinks while studying abroad I found that all of us tended to reach for brands of things that were familiar to us from home. We all had different feelings about returning home which, I have found, mimics a true diaspora population. We experienced so much all together that I found it difficult to think of topics different from theirs while writing my blogs. We were very much outsiders, and still are, but at least now we are recognized as the ‘three Canadians’.

Studying diaspora has helped to further develop my understanding of how and why groups move and the individual strategems for adapting to new cultural environments. I have become more aware of the diasporic groups in Canada, some of the issues that they face and the diversity in each one. I have further developed my cross-cultural communication skills through interacting with the women at Dostiyo and have appreciated what I have learned from them directly. Overall this experience was invaluable! I learned so much, met so many new people, and have enjoyed living the life of an English girl for the past three months.

University of Northampton - International Students

I thought it would be interesting to see how the University of Northampton markets itself internationally because I am here as an international student myself. Before coming here on this exchange program I wouldn’t have chosen England as my first country of choice to study abroad. Now that I am here and have experienced it I think that the University of Northampton has excelled in making me feel welcome and I have enjoyed every bit of being here.

The University of Northampton welcomes over 1,000 international students from more than 100 different countries every year.  They have regional offices located in China, North and South India and Pakistan to provide local advice and make applying to study here as easy as possible. They also offer personal meetings at various places around the world. A representative from the International Office travels to these countries to help promote the university and answer any questions the students may have. The university offers English classes for students who may still need to improve their language skills. Alternatively, they also offer The International Foundation Program, which prepares international students to attend university in the UK who do not meet the minimum skills required to attend a full program. There are scholarships available from the University of Northampton International Scholarship Scheme, which can cover up to 25% of tuition costs.

The hall of residence that I live in here is composed of all international students, including myself. I share my flat with women from Africa, India, Bhutan and Vietnam. Most of them are here doing their masters and I asked a few of them why they have chosen to come to the University of Northampton.

Some of the reasons expressed are as follows:

·      She wanted to come to the UK or the USA because all of the literature for her masters program comes from western countries. She wanted to live in a western country so that she could experience it while she went to school and so she could go back to India with western knowledge. She chose to come to the this university because it was less expensive than going to the university in the USA that she was also accepted into.

·      The University of Northampton was recommended to her from someone in her field of work. They said the program that was offered here was exactly what she needed to take and was very applicable to her undergraduate degree.

·      She wanted to come to a country where her opinion could be voiced. At the University of Northampton she is allowed to express her opinions and question what she is learning. Cost was also a deciding factor.

It was really interesting to talk to these women and hear about their backgrounds and what brought them here. Some of the women have families at home and are very established in their careers. This shows how important education is to these women who come mostly from developing countries. The fact that they have to leave their lives and their families at home to go to a university where they feel they can get a better education seems unfortunate but hey all seem very happy here and have adjusted well.

In our flat there is always good food cooking from all over the world. For me, these women have made me feel more at home than anything the university has to offer because of their kindness. The time all of us spend in the kitchen talking and learning about food and other aspects from our home countries has been very interesting and applicable to my own studies here on this Diaspora program. Because of where I live here on campus I feel that I got more out of this experience because I was exposed to so many other cultures and not just the English culture.

Brick Lane

“[The South Asian Diaspora] is defined by its ability to recreate a culture in diverse locations” (Agnew, 2005 p 4) Brick Lane in London, otherwise called ‘Banglatown,’ is a representation of this re-creation of culture both in the city and in Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane. Brick Lane explores Nazneen’s experience as a Bangladeshi immigrant in London. She went sent there to marry Channu through an arranged marriage and they eventually have two children.  She corresponds with her sister Hasina, whom still lives in Bangladesh, through letters where she writes of her experiences in her new country and her longing for home. From this the reader is privy to an insiders view on her representation and interpretation of what it is like to experience living in a diasporic community.

At the beginning of the novel Nazneen longs for home and frequently day dreams of her childhood. Vijay Agnew explains:

Diaspora can, thus, denote a transnational sense of self and community and create an understanding of ethnicity and ethnic bonds that transcends the borders and boundaries of nation states. Yet, the individual living in the diaspora experiences a dynamic tension everyday between living ‘here’ and remembering ‘there’; between memories of place and origin and entanglements with places of residence, and between the metaphorical and the physical home”

                                                                                                             Agnew (2005 p 4)

Because she is holding onto the past this creates tension but as the novel evolves she begins to gain independence and confidence to assimilate into English society.

Avtar Brah (1996) believes “’Home’ is a mythic place of desire in the diasporic imagination” but on the other hand “‘home’ is also the lived experience of a locality” (p 192). Nazneen learns to call England her home after many years of her ‘lived experiences’.  She meets a woman named Razia who whos influence helps influence Nazneen’s independence. She gets her a job working from home as a seamstress; work is not something her husband, Channu, believes is acceptable for a Bangladeshi woman. From meeting Karim, her employer who brings her clothing to sew at home, she breaks away from tradition and they begin a love affair. He is a devout Muslim and an activist in a group called the Bengal Tigers. 

In Brtiain, where ‘hybridity is not allowed,’ racism has provided the impetus for some diasporic individuals to maintain ties with their homelands and has encouraged them to express their quintessential selves that are rooted in their ethnicities.        
                                                                                                       Jussawalla (1997 p 30)

His wardrobe changes throughout the novel just as his values seem to.   He changes from a t-shirt and jeans to traditional clothing and a beard.

This transformation is to reinforce his beliefs, not only to himself, but to others who have developed a hatred towards Muslims because of the 9/11 attacks in New York.  His Muslim values seem to become increasingly stronger because of this and he feels the need to embody the ethnicity he is trying to defend.

Chanu, Nazneen’s husband, also unknowingly contributes to her independence and drives her into assimilation because of his unwillingness to do so himself.  He struggles with work and is always going after a new promotion. He feels that it’s a “tragedy…when you expect to be so-called integrated. But you will never get the same treatment. Never” (Ali, 2008 p 202). “He says that if he painted his skin pink and white then there would be no problem” (Ali, 2008 p 53).  Chanu doesn’t feel accepted into the host society and in his case “the question of home, therefore, is intrinsically linked with the way in which processes of inclusion or exclusion operate [and] are subjectively experienced under given circumstances. It is centrally about our political and personal struggles over the social regulation of ‘belonging’” (Brah, 1996 p 192). He is not accepted by the host society and therefore has a more difficult time assimilating into English society.

Nazneen and Channu’s children, Bibi and Shahanna, experience “the tensions between the old and new homes [that] create the problem of divided allegiances that the two generations experience differently” (Radhakrishnan, 2003 p 123). Most of these issues surround Shahanna and Chanu; Shahanna has reached an age where she isn’t as impressionable and has established beliefs of her own. She corrects her father’s English and wants her lip pierced. In an argument with her father she says “I didn’t ask to be born here” (Ali, 2008 p 299). Agnew (2005) believes “identities are socially constructed, contingent on time, place and social context, and therefore fluid and unstable” (p12) Shahanna’s identity was socially constructed in England because she was born there; she has chosen to integrate into society and reject her families origin.  This fluid identity in diaspora causes tensions between the older immigrant generation and the later generations born in diaspora (Radhakrishnan, 2003). In the end of the novel when Shahanna finds out Chanu plans to move their family back to Bangladesh she refuses to go and runs away. She takes this bold step as a last resort to show her parents that England is her home.

Because Nazneen realizes, alongside Shahanna, that England is her home too, she tells Chanu the children and her are going to stay in England. She feels it is their home now and Shahanna would never be happy in Bangladesh. When she tells him they aren’t going she says, “I can’t go with you” (Ali 2008 p 402) and he replies with, “I can’t stay” (Ali 2008 p 402).  The use of “can’t” in this context show how strongly they both feel about where their home really is after their long journey.

By the end of the novel Nazneen has demonstrated that she really can do anything in England. She realizes the opportunities here that she maybe never would have had at home. In corresponding with her sister she realizes how lucky she now is to be in a country where she can turn on the hob instead of making a fire for the oven, has a flushing toilet and two sinks (Ali 2008 p 58) Most of all she has accepted her identity as a Bengali women living in England and no longer spends her days longing for home.

 Works Cited 

Agnew, Vijay, ed, 2005. Diaspora, Memory + Identity: A search for home. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated.

Ali, Monica, 2008. Brick Lane. New York: Scribner.

Brah, A., 1996. Cartographies of Diaspora. London: Routledge.

Jussawalla, Feroza. 1997. South Asian Diaspora Writers in Britain: ‘Home’ vs. ‘Hybridity’. In Ideas of Home: Literature of Asian Migration, ed. Geoffrey Kain,. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press.

Radhakrishnan, R., 2003. “Ethnicity in an Age of Diaspora.” Theorizing Diaspora. Ed. Jana Evans Braziel and Anita Mannur. Oxford: Blackwell, p119-131

Chicken Tikka Massala

Before I arrived in England I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the food was going to be like; traditional English pub food: bangers and mash, fish and chips, Sunday roast dinner. I knew that England was a very multicultural place and expected to see curry and kabab shops, just like home. My first experience at the local pub across the street from the university was a little different than I expected. Instead of getting the fish and chip meal that I had craved all day I was taunted with the choice of having a full Indian meal. I love ethnic food, but I also love plain old fish and chips. I ordered something called Chicken Tikka Massala, which is something that I had never tried back at home in Canada. It was such a good dinner! It wasn’t until a few days later that I found out it wasn’t a real Indian dish it was in fact “now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influence. Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. The Massala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy” (Cook, 2001) Robin Cook, who was the foreign secretary of England, said this during a public speech. 

After this realization I began to notice “Tikka” everywhere I shopped and ate. Burger King has a Massala Burger and Greggs has a Chicken Tikka pastie. In the grocery store there is a larger selection of Indian-type sauces than there is of tomato sauce. Chicken Tikka is a traditional Bangladeshi dish and is made by cooking the chicken in a tandoor. It is said that Massala was invented when someone asked for it to come with gravy while ordering it in a restaurant. The cook invented a sauce made from tomato soup, cream and spices instead of serving the gravy (ANON, 2011). The dish was a compromise between two traditions and it speaks a lot to how England is today: a compromise. Its history with many different countries has brought an ethnic variety that is even more diverse than what I have experienced in Canada. Chicken Tikka Massala is just one simple example of how different cultures can blend and interact to become something better.

Cook, Robin. 2001. Robin Cooks Chicken Tikka Massala Speech. [Online] Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/apr/19/race.britishidentity [Accessed March 25th 2011]

ANON., 2011. Where does Chicken Tikka Massala Come From? [Online] Available at

http://factoidz.com/where-does-chicken-tikka-masala-come-from/

[Accessed March 25^th 2011]

Multiculturalism in a Globalized Society

Last week I attended a conference put on by the University of Northampton titled Multiculturalism in a Globalized Society. The themes of the conference were European Muslims, Identity and Citizenship. There was a large diversity in the audience as well as the speakers and I found all of the presenters very enticing. Their ideas and the work displayed opened my eyes to a whole other side of England. Before arriving in England I was blind to the issues surrounding multiculturalism that exist here. David Cameron’s speech on multiculturalism could not have come at a better time for this conference. His speech given in Germany on February 5, 2011 addressed issues surrounding terrorism, Muslims, Islamic extremism, and identity. Most media is focusing on his statement about multiculturalism in Britain:

            “Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, a part from each other and apart from mainstream. We’ve failed to provide a vision of society to which they want to belong. We’ve even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run completely counter to our values. “

Overall I think his speech was very bold but this statement in particular has created a lot of publicity in the media. Also, some are critical that his speech was delivered on the same day as the English Defence League march in Luton.

Unite Against Fascism is a group that support multiculturalism and oppose the EDL and BNP.  They were also rallying in Luton to oppose the EDL on February 5^th.

Below is a video of the demonstration in Luton.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12372635

Through this conference I discovered who the British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL) are and what they stand for.  What I discovered was shocking. England is one of the most multicultural places I have visited and, coming from a multicultural country like Canada, I was shocked at how some minority groups are treated and thought of. I couldn’t believe that there was a large established group of people (BNP) who support  a policy on immigration such as the following:

" -Deport all the two million plus who are here illegally;

 - Deport all those who commit crimes and whose original nationality was not British;

- Review all recent grants of residence or citizenship to ensure they are still appropriate;

- Offer generous grants to those of foreign descent resident here who wish to leave permanently;

- Stop all new immigration except for exceptional cases;

- Reject all asylum seekers who passed safe countries on their way to Britain.”

(http://www.bnp.org.uk/policies/immigration)

Not only do I feel these statements offensive but are also unrealistic.

The views of these parties, I feel, are expressed through a film I watched recently called This is England. The events in the film are based on the childhood experiences of director Shane Meadows. It is based on a boy growing up in England in 1983. He finds a group of guys who accept him and make him feel like he belongs. He is then introduced to Combo who tries to change his views on other ethnic groups in England. I thought the film was very well done. Though it is only a portrayal through film I felt like it gave a realistic view into what some followers of the far right parties of England may believe. 

To watch a trailer of the film This is England click below. 

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2398945561/

The Polish School of Poster Art

The Polish School of Poster Art

Click on the link above to view on the University of Northampton's Website. 

 On Display from January 10-28^th 2011 at The University of Northampton Avenue Campus Gallery

Upon arriving in Northampton I had never been exposed to the culture and language of Poland in the way that it is available here. A large number of Poles took the opportunity to move to the UK once Poland joined the EU in 2004. When I first arrived in Northampton I walked around the city to explore and found myself in little pockets of Poland. There are Polish specialty food shops that I went in to get the feel for what their food is like. Everything in the specialty stores was written in Polish. Even a Heinz ketchup bottle, which is something I would consider “American”, was written in Polish. This little store, on what felt like an abandoned street, was bustling with people lined up to buy from the deli.  This is one example, I feel, that shows how difficult it is to give up the food and culture that you are used to once you have moved to a new country. By demand and popularity these shops will continue to flourish. Even the large chain grocery stores such as ASDA have now added a "Polish" food section.

I know from even the short time I have been here in England that there are some foods and amenities that I’m used to at home in Canada that are not available here. Having to find alternatives has been one major adjustment that I have come across; I’ve learned a little bit more about the culture and the popular foods here because of it.

After exploring the town I went to the University of Northampton’s Avenue Campus to look at the Polish School of Poster Art exhibit.  My first impression of these works of art was that they are stunning. I loved the use of colour and creativity. To me they resembled the popular French art deco posters. They were enticing to look at especially because I don’t understand the Polish language; this forced me to interpret the artwork more than if I could actually read what they were advertising. Not only were the posters beautiful to look at but they also became more meaningful once I read about the history written by Vicki Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Design at the University of Northampton. In a pamphlet provided at the exhibit she explains that the posters were created between 1950-1970 following World War Two. They were produced to promote cultural events and tourism within Poland after the war. They were pasted on buildings awaiting post-war reconstruction which turned the streets into galleries.

 "The Poles have strived to preserve their own language and cultural traditions" and I think this is one reason why Polish immigrants would be proud that there is an art display from their country and that people here are taking an interest in their culture.

Below are some photos that I took at the gallery. Enjoy!

GÓRKA, Wiktor (1922-2004)

Poland Invites You to a Fisherman’s Paradise  1967

SWIERZY, Waldemar (b.1931)
Krakowiak 1962
 (Folk dance)

GRONOWSKI, Tadeusz (1894-1990)
La Pologne Vous Invite 1950's?
(Poland Invites You)

JODLOWSKI, Tadeusz (b. 1925)

Cyrk 1968
(Circus)