by Holly Johnson

The month of May has allowed us to think about diaspora and movement. And with such movement, there is the question of the aftermath of such movements. Do those who were forced to move feel settled in their new homes? Is the new place even home? I would suggest that the aftermath may be similar to borderlands, whereby there is a hybridity of both the old mixed with the new. For young people, it is a combination of two worlds. At home they may speak one language, and in schools another. There may be the constant negotiation of those two worlds, and the sentiments of going and staying. As noted in my first blog, some diaspora is defined by the type of diaspora community and its relationship to its original homeland.

The original scattering of a population may resolve in a permanent resettlement, while other times the constant longing for home is the result. These sentiments can be felt throughout a community or individually. With young people, it may be the longing for the family homeplace comes when they are older, and they journey to see the family homeland. With others, it may take generations for family members to respond to their call of their homelands.

There are a number of amazing books that present the next step in the lives of those who experienced diaspora. For some it is the constant wonder of who they are and where they fit in. For others, the experience is one of hybridity, and for still others, it is a new beginning, which results in joy, but rarely comes without the discomfort of change. For others, it remains a struggle. Whatever the result, it is good for all of us to read about such results, as they bring our worlds closer together, whether from across the world, or often, from just across the street.

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• Themes: Holly Johnson
• Descriptors: Books & Resources, WOW Currents