Literature and culture today: Diasporic Experience in Contemporary Canadian Literature

The aim of the seminar is to familiarize students with texts of culture (literature, film, media) depicting a variety of diasporic experiences in contemporary Canada.

The seminar offers an overview of postcolonial texts of culture depicting diasporic experiences in contemporary Canada. It provides students with the theoretical background necessary for understanding the concept of diaspora and the functioning of a multicultural society. The intersectional approach introduced during the seminar allows the students to analyse the presence of such aspects as race, sexuality and gender, hybridity and identity in diasporic literature.

Content distribution:

--> colonialism and postcolonialism and multiculturalism - theoretical introduction

--> history of immigration to Canada

--> diasporic literature and CanLit

--> literary depictions of diasporic experiences of selected diasporic communities (Chinese-Canadian, Japanese-Canadian, South Asian-Canadian, African-Canadian, Polish-Canadian, Caribbean-Canadian)

--> race and ethnicity in diasporic literature

--> sexuality and gender in diasporic literature

--> hybridity and identity in diasporic literature

--> language and language expression in diasporic literature

--> familial relations in diasporic literature

--> Indigenous experiences

Materials discussed during the class

The Electrical Field (1997), Floating City (2018) by Keri Sakamoto (selected fragments)

Disappearing Moon Cafe (1990) by SKY Lee (selected fragments)

No New Land (1991) by M.G. Vassanji (selected fragments)

Displacement (2020) by Kiku Hughes (selected fragments)

Stealing Home (2021) by J. Torres and David Namisato (selected fragments)

selected poems by Aufa Cooper, Cicely Belle Blain, Janet Hong, Leslie Roach, Michael Prior, Grace Lau, David Ly, Mercedes Eng and Kai Cheng Thom

selected short stories by C.E. Gatchalian, Djamila Ibrahim, Shauna Singh Baldwin, Kaie Kellough, Ian Williams, Zalika Reid-Benta, Philip Huynh, Andrew Borkowski, David Bezmozgis, Kathy Friedman, Amy Fung, Saeed Teebi and Souvankham Thammavongsa

selected short stories from Strike the Wok. An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Canadian Fiction (2003) by Lien Chao and Jim Wong-Chu (eds.)

selected stories from Many-Mouthed Birds. Contemporary Writing by Chinese Canadians (1991) by Bennett Lee and Jim Wong-Chu (eds.)

selected short stories from Polish(ed). Poland Rooted in Canadian Fiction (2017) by Kasia Jaronczyk and Małgorzata Nowaczyk (eds.)

selected poems from Swallowing Clouds. An Anthology of Chinese-Canadian Poetry (1999) by Andy Quan and Jim Wong-Chu (eds.)

selected essays from My Conversations with Canadians (2020) by Lee Maracle

selected essays from Refuse: CanLit in Ruins (2018) by Hannah McGregor, Julie Rak, and Erin Wunker (eds.)

selected essays from Tongues: On Longing and Belonging Through Language (2021) by Eufemia Fantetti, Leonarda Carranza, and Ayelet Tsabari (eds.)

selected essays from Black Writers Matter (2019) by Whitney French (ed.)

Additional reading (non-compulsory):

1. Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin. 2007. Post-colonial Studies. The Key Concepts. 2nd edition. London-New York: Routledge.

2. Cohen, Robin. 2008. Global Diasporas. An Introduction. 2nd edition. London-New York: Routledge.

3. Ellermann, Antje. 2021. The Comparative Politics of Immigration. Policy Choices in Germany, Canada, Switzerland and the United States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

4. Fleras, Augie. 2015. Immigration Canada. Evolving Realities and Emerging Challenges in a Postnational World. Vancouver-Toronto: UBCPress.

5. Kentner, Julie. 2019. Caribbean Immigrants to Canada. Collingwood: Beech Street Books.

6. Lane, Richard. 2011. The Routledge Concise History of Canadian Literature. London-New York: Routledge.

7. Lentin, Alana and Gavan Titley. 2011. The Crises of Multiculturalism. Racism in a Neoliberal Age. London-New York: Zed Books.

8. McLeod, John. 2000. Beginning Postcolonialism. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

9. Mullaney, Julie. 2010. Postcolonial Literature in Context. London-New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.

10. Spencer, Stephen. 2006. Race and Ethnicity. Culture, Identity and Representation. London-New York: Routledge.

Assessment methods

- essay – W1, W2, U1, U2, U3, U4, K1 (60%)

- participation in discussion – W1, W2, U1, U2, U3, U4, K1 (40%)

Assessment criteria:

fail – 0-59%

satisfactory – 60-69%

satisfactory plus – 70-75%

good – 76-85%

good plus – 86-90%

very good – 91-100%

Number of unexcused absences per semester: 1

If the number of unexcused absences exceeds the allowed number, the student can make up the missed classes. In order to do so, the student should consult the supervisor. However, upon student's failure to make up for the missed classes, the grade will be lowered; in case of a large number of absences (especially unexplained ones), the student may not be permitted to submit the final essay.

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