Study Notes on Migration and Identity

Begins with personal identity: suggestion to start with one's name.
Concepts include pragmatism, self-conception, and external perceptions.
Identity composition:
- Internal Aspects: individual's self-concept.
- External Aspects: unseen factors affecting one’s sense of self.
- Includes ethnicity, nationality, race, and community affiliation.
Affects an individual's perception of themselves and their identity formation.
Identity shifts when individuals relocate, influencing how they define themselves.

Raises the question of identity after years of living abroad:
- E.g., After living in America for 15-20 years, do you still identify as Nigerian?
Emphasizes visible features that contribute to identity perception.
- Examples: Tribal masks and accents might change after long stays in different countries.

Migrants exemplify cultural crossovers and shifts.
Cultural Shift:
- Migrants do not merely change geographical locations; they also navigate cultural and linguistic changes.
Psychological aspects are considered as they influence the overall identity transformation.

Core Issues:
- Identity crisis arises during migration, focusing on the loss of pre-migration identity.
- Migration defined as a movement that disturbs one's sense of self.

Fictional vs. autobiographical accounts often portray struggles with identity and loss of home identity.
Authors: Sheguna Folabi, Chika Onigui, Chimamanda Adichie.
Key thematic focus:
- Characters often confront identity crises, negotiating memories of their past with current circumstances.

Analyzes psychological implications of the identity struggle:
- Negotiation Between:
- Past: Origin and self-conception from home.
- Present: Current situation and societal adaptation challenges.
Characteristics of Migrants During Crisis:
- Experience feelings of alienation and dislocation.
- Constantly negotiating identities between their former selves and new surroundings.

Concepts essential to understanding identity in migrant contexts:
- Displacement: Loss of cultural ties, both physically and psychologically.
- Dual Belonging: Migrants harbor identities from two different cultures concurrently.
- Hybrid Identities: Example characterization of dual identities seen in literature.

Introduces Social Identity Theory:
- Individuals define themselves through group affiliations.
- Importance of in-group (self-identifying groups) vs out-group (non-affiliates).
Examples from literature illustrate relativity of identity based on societal categorization.

Asserts that identity is not fixed, drastically impacted by migration.
Cultural Adaptations:
- Personal practices, behaviors, and speech can irreversibly alter due to relocation.
- Narrative examples highlight changes in perception and behavior in new contexts (e.g. greetings, food).

Encountering racialised identity and biases upon relocation.
Struggles to Remain Authentic:
- Migrants must often consider sacrificing elements of their prior identity to assimilate into new cultures.
Examples of characters who adapt and negotiate complex identities based on cultural encounters.

Reference to various texts:
- Sefiata's Works: Characters navigating complex identities, the psychological aspects of adapting, and struggles with dual belonging.
- Chimamanda Adichie's Americana: Explores themes of race and cultural identity; nuances of belonging in mixed relationships.

Migrant narratives deeply entwined with continuous identity negotiation.
Discussion points include:
- The push and pull factors motivating migration.
- Differences in motivations among migrants (safety, education, better opportunities).
Encouragement to embrace the search for self within literature as a formative educational experience.

A short quiz testing understanding of the discussed material will take place early in the week.
Emphasis on preparing by reading recommended texts and engaging in upcoming discussions.