10th SAAS CONFERENCE

“The Backyard of the U.S. Mansion: Critical readings of poverty and wealth in the United States”

Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).  April 14-16, 2011

 

9) Super-Diversity in Migratory Patterns

Panel Chair: Aitor Ibarrola Armendáriz
Institution: Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao
E-mail: ibarrola@fil.deusto.es

It used to be the case that, throughout the 19th and a substantial part of the 20th century, most immigrants to the United States came driven by dreams of new opportunities and the achievement of material prosperity. Most of them were, of course, economic migrants who due to the meagre conditions and very narrow horizons at home decided to leave their past and native culture behind in order to “make it good” in America. Much of the best literature in the country tells us of the stories of success (and/or failure) of those courageous spirits who, often with nothing but their clothes on their backs, decided to cross the ocean to the New World. Because many of the newly arrived had little to lose in this transition, they were more than happy to wholly open themselves up to the workings of the receiving culture. Hence, the assimilationist processes prevailed throughout much of the history of the nation. Since the mid-20th century, however, the contingents of foreigners reaching the American shores have become much more diverse and heterogeneous. While it is true that one could still speak of economic migrants being the largest group among the newcomers, refugees, scholars, executives, asylum seekers, students, etc. have made the picture much more eclectic. This fact has certainly had a significant impact on the kind of life stories and migratory trajectories that are represented in recent immigrant narratives. The motivations for moving have changed, attitudes to the country of origin are different, settling and adaptation processes have taken new shapes, individuals are not just interested in material improvement. Recent fiction by immigrant authors is not only an invaluable source of information but has also provided us with metaphors that help us understand a bit more precisely how the image of America has changed in the newcomers’ minds and how their relationship with the country has been profoundly transformed.

Suggested/Related Topics:

- Elements of transnationalism in recent American fiction.

- Forms of allegiance to the sending and receiving country.

- Differences between forced and willing migrations.

- Metaphors used to represent the migrant experience.

- Different types of auto-ethnographies and autobiographies.

- New developments of the concept of ethclass.

- New policies of diversity management in literature.

- The relation between the ethic and the aesthetic in migrant fiction.

- The incidence of gender, occupational, religious, etc. roles in migrant fiction.

- New factors in the adaptation process to a new culture.

10th INTERNATIONAL SAAS CONFERENCE
Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, 14-16 April 2011

THE BACKYARD OF THE U.S.A. MANSION: Critical Readings of Poverty and Wealth in the United States

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