Unit 17 Globalisation and Diaspora
Reading
What Lost Identity? The Diaspora and Globalisation
Before you read
a. Why do you think people leave their home countries?
b. Do they have their cultural identity in other countries?
c, What happens when one’s identity is lost?
d. How is culture globalised?
Now read the following article about identity loss for the immigrants.
Most of the 5 million
Palestinians are refugees. More
than two million live in Western
Europe and North America.
They left Palestine and the
refugee camps where they were
denied basic human rights to
find a better life and better
economic opportunities. Most
North African Arabs (Egyptians,
Moroccans, Tunisians, and
Algerians) left their home countries to look for a better economic life. However,
Syrian and Lebanese nationals left their countries not only to improve their economic
situation but also to escape from the ravages of the ongoing conflicts there.
There are those who fear the loss of cultural identity when confronted with the process
of cultural assimilation. Personally, I believe that no institution, government, group
or people can clinically separate the young generations from the huge waves of
technological advancement that shape and form this global culture, which is, after all,
part of our new global identity. We are living in the 21st century where social media,
street journalism and global trans-national corporations participate in providing a
catalyst for the new dynamics of global culture formation, quite apart from the issue of
English: Grade 11 153
identity which can be defined in terms of religion, culture or language. This signifies
that we should not confuse cultural identity with global culture.
However, moving from one side of the world to the other can be an economic
challenge for newcomers and host nations alike in places like Western Europe and
North America. When the immigrants arrive, the host country needs to integrate
them into the labour market, with the prospect of achieving a better life for them and
facilitating their contribution to the economy. This cannot happen in a one-step or
one-shop integration programme; it needs time, starting from learning the language,
integrating culturally with finally, integration into the labour market. Although in
the short-term this strategy may prove costly for the government, in the long run, it
will make a positive contr ibution to the economy. Immigrants, however, may find
themselves ignored or isolated by society, even though society may see itself as open
and immigrant-friendly. This can be seen in the housing situation where immigrants
can rent only from housing agencies and in specific areas. Small enclaves in cities
where immigrants are concentrated begin to spring up. Take Rosengard in Malmo,
Sweden, for instance, where most immigrants can be found and the crime rate is among
the highest in the country. Or Lavapies, a central historic neighbourhood in Madrid,
Spain now home to a high concentration of immigrants from China, Bangladesh and
the Middle East. Enclaves such as these can be costly to the government and to the
immigrants themselves as life in these neighbourhoods often runs parallel to official
society and its culture, and integration is not truly achieved.
Many immigrants have started their own businesses in their new homes. Twenty years
ago, you could hardly find Palestinian hummus or falafel in any European markets.
Today, there are small entrepreneurs who have set up shops to sell Arabic, Hindi,
African, Latin American foods and other products, and there is an increasing amount of
trade between these countries. Spice exports from India to Saudi Arabia has increased
the total sum of economic trade to 80 billion Saudi Riyals. This is not because of
the sheer quality of Indian spices, but because of the numbers of Indians who live in
Saudi Arabia- naturally for economic reasons. Trade between Turkey and Germany
has reached the 25-billion-euro mark and the number of German tourists to Turkey
is an estimated 4 million. This illustrates how the existence of immigrants can foster
economics at different magnitudes of scale.
Personally, I had the chance to meet many immigrants who were all willing to integrate
in the Swedish and Spanish societies where they live. Admittedly, there are many
constraints at play, but these constraints are not related to any loss of identity. In fact,
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Western societies’ creation of immigrant enclaves enables neighbours to share similar
identities, cultures, language and perhaps even religion. This, however, has a negative
effect in the long run, and it will be the second generation and the government who in
the end will pay dearly. Integration programmes do not fail because immigrants are
unwilling to be part of the new society, but because society does not open its doors fully
to allow them to integrate. Full integration could be costly at first, but at the end of the
day, it is an investment in the future. Currently, many schools in Sweden are teaching
Arabic as a second language for immigrants and provide students with halal food. Any
argument about loss of identity in the West does not have a solid foundation.
Countless benefits come from integrating into society. It means that people will focus
more on economic opportunities rather than concentrating their efforts on lamenting
a so-called identity crisis. And it means they will become sensitised to the norms and
standards of the new society – its garbage collection, its traffic lights, its highway
code etc. – and start to adopt new ways of thinking. The new generation will have
the opportunity of boarding the ship of civilisation and development that Arabs have
lost a long time ago. They will have equal opportunities in learning, engagement
and self-esteem. Afterwards, they can be a solid bridge between the two cultures or
religions – of course, with mutual understanding. On the other hand, the receiving
countries will enhance their economic opportunities where immigrants come from.
The number of multinational corporations and businesses are increasing because of
the increasing number of immigrants in the receiving countries. This will boost an
economic, political and cultural interaction between the two sides. Governments of
Europe and North America should start their integration programmes by encouraging
newcomers to establish their own businesses that link them to their homeland. This
will make it easier to understand, smoothly integrate and contribute to the economy.
Finally, we must admit that if we do not run in concordance with global culture, it
will eventually usurp us without our even knowing it. The cost of isolation and nonconvergence
is higher and more damaging than integration. The fear of losing identity
must be faced with positive interaction between newcomers and their hosting societies.
In the end, most newcomers are guests and must leave a positive impression when they
leave, or they are part of this society and they must adapt with it and build their future
in conjunction with their new surroundings.
Abdalhadi Alijla
Ways with words
A. Choose the words from the box for the following meanings.
confront refugee ravage assimilation enclave usurp
a. the severely damaging or destructive effects of something.- ravage
b. someone forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or
natural disaster- refugee
c. to face a difficult situation- confront
d. take a position of power or importance illegally or by force- usurp
e. the process of becoming a part of a group, country, society, etc. assimilation
f. an area within a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically
distinct - enclave
B. Collocation refers to words that are found together in spoken and
written language. Collocations can be either fixed, where it is difficult
to replace one of the words with an alternative, or freer, allowing for
more choice of words. The most common types of collocation are:
Verb + noun accept responsibility
Adjective + noun fi rm determination
Verb + adjective + noun make steady progress
Adverb + verb strongly recommend
Adverb + adjective completely useless
Adverb + adjective + noun totally unacceptable behaviour
Adjective + preposition accused of
Noun + noun window frame
C. Fill in the gaps with the correct word from the brackets.
a. I asked him if he was attending the ceremony and he shook his head 'no'.
(shook/moved/ nodded)
b. They made a horrible decision which caused irreparable damage to our company.
(hopeless/ inflexible/irreparable)
c. The leaders need to break down barriers so as to create favorable environment
in the nation. (barriers/obstacles/hindrances)
d. You ought to talk to the manager to settle the dispute. (solve/settle/clear up)
e. Perhaps this issue will not get much media coverage (security/examination/
coverage)
f. This week is the first week of Joan as an in-charge. Everything is running
smoothly (smoothly/calmly/easily)
g. I haven't read the text thoroughly but given a quick glance. (fast/quick/rapid)
Comprehension
Answer the following questions.
a. Why did millions of Palestinians leave their country?
Millions of Palestinians left their country because in their country, they were denied basic human rights to find a better life and better economic opportunities.
b. How is the global culture formed? Is cultural identity possible even in the
global culture? Justify.
The young generations from the huge waves of technological advancement form the global culture. Cultural identity is possible even in the global culture. Social media, street journalism and global trans-national corporations participate in providing a catalyst for the new dynamics of global culture formation. The sense of togetherness brought with globalization promotes cultural identity. In the new era of globalization, people become more concerned about the uniqueness and particularity of their own culture. Cultural identity provides the global significance of local knowledge and the sense of self, community and nation.
c, Why can moving from one side of the world to the other be an economic
challenge for newcomers?
Moving from one side of the world to the other can be an economic challenge for newcomers because integration programme needs time; starting from learning the language, integrating culturally, integration into the labour mark
d. How can immigrants foster economy at different magnitudes of scale in
their new homes?
Immigrants ca foster economy at different magnitudes of scale in their new homes by starting their own businesses.
e. Can immigrants fully integrate in the new societies? Give reasons.
No, immigrants can't fully integrate in the new societies because they are unwilling to be part of the new society and the society does not open its doors fully to allow them to integrate.
f. Mention any two benefits of integrating into a new society for the
immigrants.
- Immigrants will have equal opportunities in learning, engagement and self-esteem. Afterwards, they can be a solid bridge between the two cultures or religions with mutual understanding.
- The receiving countries will enhance their economic opportunities where immigrants come fro
g. Why should the immigrants run in concordance with global culture?
The immigrants should run in concordance with global culture because of the following reasons:
- The cost of isolation and non-convergence is higher and more damaging than integration.
- They can face the fear of losing identity.
Grammar
Infinitive and Gerund
B. Complete each sentence using what/how/where/whether + one of these verbs:
[apply get do ride use go]
C. Paraphrase the following sentences using the verb in brackets as in the example.
Example: She has lost her weight. (seem)
She seems to have lost her weight.
Mahesh tends to forget closing the windows
Your car appears to have broken down.
Ashika seems to be worried about her exam.
They claim to have developed the theory.
He pretends to be enjoying his new job.
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