Routledge Handbook of Indian Transnationalism

Description

This book introduces readers to the many dimensions of historical and contemporary Indian transnationalism and the experiences of migrants and workers to reveal the structures of transnationalism and the ways in which Indian origin groups are affected. The concept of crossing borders emerges as an important theme, along with the interweaving of life in geographic and web spaces. The authors draw from a variety of archives and intellectual perspectives in order to map the narratives of Indian transnationalism and analyse the interplay of culture and structures within transnational contexts. The topics covered range from the history of transnational networks, activism, identity, gender, politics, labour, policy, performance, literature and more. This collection presents a wide array of issues and debates which will reinvigorate discussions about Indian transnationalism. This handbook will be an invaluable resource for academics, researchers, and students interested in studying South Asia in general and the Indian diaspora in particular. Cover Praise Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures List of tables Notes on contributors Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Introduction: Indian transnationalism Transnationalism: some contours Transnationalism with a focus on India Indian transnationalism in this book Notes References PART I: Migrants’/workers’ lives Chapter 1: Globality in exceptional spaces: service workers in India’s transnational economy Introduction On exceptional spaces Globality within exceptional spaces Methods Pride and subservience within India’s zones of exception Class and the experience of globality within exceptional spaces Notes References Chapter 2: Skill gap and brain drain for United States: impact of Trump executive order on H1B and India Introduction Migration of knowledge workers and the H1B H1B visa system H1B and tech companies H1B and India Trump executive order on H1B and its impact Skill gap in the United States and reverse brain drain Conclusion Notes References Chapter 3: From students to spouses: gender and labor in Indian transnationalism Migration and gendered employment Domestic work abroad Nursing and caring labor Global IT workers Family reunification and gendered labor Temporary worker programs Transnational housewives Professional volunteers Anchors and displacements Conclusion References Chapter 4: Transnationalism and return migration of scientists and engineers from the United States to India Introduction Literature review Economic factors Political factors Social/cultural/family factors Methodology Findings Post-return transnationalism Conclusion Acknowledgments References PART II: On culture and identities Chapter 5: Translocal puja: the relevance of gift exchange and locality in transnational Guyanese Hindu communities Introduction Guyanese Indianness, Hinduism, and puja Puja and transnational gift exchange Locality and puja Conclusion Notes References Chapter 6: Indian music and transnationalism International connections prior to independence The transnationalization of Indian classical music Commercial popular music and dance A case study: the greater New York City region Concluding perspectives References Chapter 7: Transnational collaborations by selected contemporary Indian dancers The India-Korea collaboration The India-Bangladesh collaboration Notes References Chapter 8: Revealing the messiness of transnational identities: second-generation South Asians in Canada Introduction Context Literature Methods Findings: negotiated belonging in a transnational social field Conclusion Notes References Chapter 9: Negotiating transnational identity among second-generation Indian residents in Oman Introduction Framing the transnational Homemaking and transnationalism The case of Oman Acknowledgment Notes References PART III: Political engagement in transnational spaces Chapter 10: Transnationalism and Indian/American foreign policy Introduction: the Indian diaspora in the United States Early political activism and the Cold War years The formation of an Indian American lobby Current issues and the road forward Conclusion References Chapter 11: Constructing Hindu identities in France and the United States: a comparative analysis Introduction Conceptions of nationhood and religion in France and the United States Hindus in France and the United States: migration histories and population growth Construction of Hinduism in the United States Construction of Hinduism in France Conclusion: rethinking transnationalism References Chapter 12: Facing strong head winds: Dalit transnational activism today Introduction Context: who are the Dalits? The impact of neoliberal globalization on India Internationalizing the Dalit movement The Dalit diaspora and the United Nations The transnationalization of the Dalit women’s movement WCAR and the national campaign on Dalit human rights Converging at the World Social Forum Conclusion: what has been accomplished? Note References PART IV: Gender and Indian transnationalism Chapter 13: Experiences of empowerment and constraint: narratives of transnational Indian women entrepreneurs Introduction Methods Framing the case: immigration from India to the US Theory Women transnational entrepreneurs Conclusion Notes References Chapter 14: Indian origin women: organising against apartheid Introduction Indians in South Africa: a historical perspective Enter women Negotiating a hybrid identity Diasporic/hybrid identity Gendered identity Identity work South African Indians: Hurdles in contemporary South Africa Notes References Chapter 15: Workers, families, and households: towards a gendered, raced, and classed understanding of Indian transnationalism in Canada Introduction A racist history of Indian labour migration to Canada A new class of Indian hi-tech migrants Gendered, classed, and raced negotiations in a post-migratory context Concluding remarks and future directions Note References Chapter 16: Is migration a ticket to freedom? exploring sense of freedom among Indian women in Toronto Discussion and conclusions Notes References Chapter 17: Middling Tamil migrants in Singapore and the translocal village Part 1: Middling Musuguntha Vellalar transnational migrants Part 2: The translocal village goes live! Note References PART V: On historic and contemporary networks in transnational spaces Chapter 18: The transnational mobility of Indians in the time of the British Empire Notes References Chapter 19: Layered cities, shared histories: gold, mobility and urbanity between Dubai and Malabar Introduction Malayalis in Dubai: multiple regimes of mobility Malayali, gold and the mobility complex Liberalisation in India, brand-building in Dubai Dubai, Malabar and cities of gold Conclusion Notes References Chapter 20: Emergence of Singapore as a pivot for Indian diasporic and transnational networks Positing Singapore as a ‘node’ and ‘space’ for Indian transnational networks Transition of Indian transnational spaces in Singapore Conclusion Notes References Glossary Index