In Search of Identity

This book delves into the experiences of South Asia’s diaspora―originating from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Afghanistan―which constitutes one of the world’s largest and most globally dispersed communities. Over recent decades, millions of South Asians have migrated to regions such as the UK, North America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and increasingly the Middle East. Their children and grandchildren, forming the second generation, have grown up in these new societies, navigating education and entering the workforce. Despite being born and raised abroad, many still grapple with challenges of belonging, identity negotiation, and occasional discrimination, often being perceived as outsiders.

This book is essential resource for students, scholars, and researchers in migration studies, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies. It explores broad subject areas such as transnationalism, acculturation, cultural hybridity, racism, and diaspora tourism, offering insights into the mental health concerns, resettlement challenges, and adjustment outcomes faced by this community. By focusing on South Asians as a transnational group, the book provides a nuanced perspective on the interplay between cultural heritage and contemporary global realities, inspiring further research and dialogue in the field.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of South Asian Diaspora.

Diotima Chattoraj is a Research Fellow at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in Nanyang Technological University. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the department of Social and Health Sciences in James Cook University, Singapore. A qualitative researcher, she focuses on Asian migration, international relations, consumer psychology and advertising effects. She has authored more than 30 journal articles, 8 books, 14 book chapters in leading journals. Additionally, she is the Deputy Editor of South Asia Research, Associate Editor of South-East Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal and serves as a peer reviewer for several refereed journals.

Anindya Basu is Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Diamond Harbour Women’s University. She has held this position since 2017, following her tenure as Assistant Professor at Women’s Christian College, Kolkata, from 2011. A rank-holder in both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in Geography at the University of Calcutta, she is also a recipient of the UGC-Junior Research Fellowship. Her academic interests span socio-political geography, urban-environmental issues, and tourism geography. Basu has successfully undertaken three sponsored research projects and has presented over one hundred papers at national and international conferences and seminars. She has also published approximately seventy research papers and book chapters. In addition to her research and teaching contributions, she serves as a peer reviewer for several refereed journals.