MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
144
THE CONCEPT OF DIASPORA AND ITS IMPACT ON
LITERATURE
Jumayeva Gulnoza
PhD student, Bukhara State University
Annotation: This article defines various interpretations of the concept of
diaspora. Although many scholars have studied the concept of diaspora for a long
time, there is still no complete information on this topic. The article provides the
names of some writers who created diaspora literature and brief information about
their work.
Keywords: classical diaspora, new diaspora, diaspora specification, ethnic
community, migration, Afghan-American diaspora.
Annotatsiya. Ushbu maqolada diaspora tushunchasining turli talqinlari
aniqlangan. Juda ko’p olimlar diaspora tushunchasini ko’p vaqtdan beri o’rganib
kelishsadaa-da, ―bu mavzu haqida to’liq ma’lumot hali mavjud emas. Maqolada
diaspora adabiyotida ijod qilgan ba’zi adiblar nomlari va ular asarlari haqida
qisqacha ma’lumot beriladi.
Kalit so’zlar: klassik diaspora, yangi diaspora, diaspora spetsifikasi, etnik
jamoa, migratsiya, afg’on-amerika diasporasi.
Аннотация: В статье рассматриваются различные трактовки
понятия диаспоры. Хотя многие ученые уже давно изучают концепцию
диаспоры, «полной информации по этой теме до сих пор нет». В статье
дается краткий обзор имен некоторых писателей, работавших в диаспорной
литературе, и их произведений.
Ключевые слова: классическая диаспора, новая диаспора, концепция
диаспоры, этническая община, миграция, афганоамериканская диаспора.
Introduction.
The concept of “diaspora” has existed since ancient times. It is
a Greek word meaning “dispersion”, “escape”, “scattering” and diaspora literature
MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
145
studies the works of writers who moved from their country of birth and upbringing to
another country and created in that region. The term diaspora mainly refers to
immigrants, emigrants, workers, and refugees who were forced to leave their country
of birth and upbringing due to war, oppression, hunger, and poverty. Historically, the
term “diaspora” was used in connection with the expulsion and settlement of the
Jewish people. The Hebrew term “galut” is synonymous with the modern term
“diaspora” and literally means “exile” [7]. Analysis of literature on the topic As a
result of large-scale migration, a huge number of people moved to other countries and
continents. Finding themselves outside their homeland, in a new, unfamiliar
environment, they sought to join existing immigrant communities or create new ones.
The process of diasporization was so rapid that it affected almost all spheres of the
country's life. A great contribution to the theoretical understanding of the diaspora
phenomenon was made by prominent Western researchers: J. Armstrong, R.
Brubaker, M. Dabag, R. Cohen, U. Safran, G. Sheffer and others. The development
of the concept of diaspora within the framework of classical (historical) concepts was
based on the use of the model of the Jewish diaspora, which served as a basis for
comparative studies. In the 60s-90s of the 20th century, the majority of studies were
devoted to the Jewish, Armenian and Greek diasporas. A number of researchers have
identified many similarities, and in addition to the Jewish and Armenian diasporas,
several ethnic groups are also mentioned as being included in the “classical diaspora”.
For example, G. Scheffer and H. Tololian believe that Greek settlement can be
included in such diasporas; U. Safran speaks of the Roma, Palestinian and Cuban
diasporas; M. Dabag and K. Platt also pay attention to the settlement of the Chinese
diaspora, and finally, E. Skinner compares the Jewish, African, Indian, Chinese and
Irish diasporas. The dictionary “Race, Ethnicity and Culture” mainly indicates the
reasons for the emergence of diasporas as follows: “Diasporas can arise as a result of
invasion, colonization, slavery, expulsion, discrimination and persecution, political
conflicts or wars, as well as economically determined migrations [7]. One of the most
influential researchers of this issue, V. Safran, defined the following criteria for the
concept of diaspora:
MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
146
1) Dispersion from the original historical center to different regions;
2) Feeling oneself as a stranger in the host society;
3) The desire to return to one's homeland;
4) Maintaining ties with the country of origin, providing assistance [3].
Researchers note that each diaspora has its own identity, a variety of
combinations of classical and a number of specific and even individual features. It is
clear that modern migration processes, the formation and unification of new dispersed
ethnic communities do not always correspond to an ideal type with a new quality,
which leads to a conditional division into "classical" (or historical) and "new
diasporas". Professor G. Scheffer of the University of Jerusalem studied diasporas as
various connections and connections established by social groups, political structures
and economic institutions - as networks of cross-border communication. R. Hettlage,
U. Hannertz, T. Faist, R. Cohen, R. Cohen, J. Nye note that one of the most important
functional features of ethnic diasporas is the desire to form and strengthen
transnational communication networks. These networks are not limited to domestic
or foreign policy, it should be noted that the cross-border networks created by
diasporas also serve to satisfy their cultural, linguistic and educational needs [2]. In
Western literature, the concept of “diaspora” is generally interpreted as “a population
living outside the homeland”. According to V. I. Dyatlov, “diasporas are a specific
part, a continuation of the ethnic homeland, emdiving all its main features”.
The concept of “diaspora” is currently a controversial topic, but this does not
prevent it from being actively used in relation to any ethnic groups, including those
designated as “foreigners”. It is clear that not every ethnic group can fulfill the
function of a diaspora, since diaspora is a certain stage of social development, which
is characterized by the following qualitative indicators:
1) High level of group cohesion;
2) The presence of institutional forms;
3) A tendency to compact settlement in cities;
4) Social protection of compatriots;
5) Active self-organization and management;
MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
147
6) Full integration into the system of interethnic relations;
7) The gradual formation of ethno-elites.
Analysis and results
. In the current global era, many people migrate in search
of work, business and trade. All diasporic communities established outside their
territory of birth always remember their homeland with their loyalty and feelings.
This happens through language, religion and customs. Diasporic people often
manage cultural identities. The way diasporic people manage their identity is
determined by political, social, professional and class factors. Diasporic communities
can choose a place of residence, culture and the process of assimilation. If a person
moves from one territory to another, an identity crisis arises. They simultaneously try
to find their identity. This compromise between these multiple and changing identities
can be resolved by the formation of a transcultural identity.
In the present period, a certain group of diasporas has its roots mainly in
America, one of which is the Afghan-American diaspora,which is the focus of our
study. The Afghan diaspora emerged in the wake of the famine and economic crisis
of the early 1970s, and the settlement of Afghan immigrants in Europe and America,
mainly through Iran and Pakistan, can be traced in five main periods:
1) the influx of workers into Iran and the Middle East in 1971-73;
2) the influx of Afghan nobles and their supporters into Pakistan and Iran in
1978-79;
3) the influx of farmers and shepherds from Afghanistan into Pakistan in the
1980s;
4) The immigration of intellectuals, high-ranking officials and workers in the
1990s, and the arrival of skilled technicians and specialists in Pakistan in 1996;
5) The last migration in 1999-2001 occurred in all segments of the population
due to the famine in Afghanistan.
Diaspora literature is mainly seen in the work of writers who came from
colonial territories to America and Europe seeking refuge, equality and freedom.
When a foreign writer experiences the trauma of rejection in a foreign culture, he
becomes associated with ethnic identity. The immigrant author, living far from his
MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
148
homeland, mainly addresses his homeland and past in his works. The writer's foreign
sensibility can choose any topic related to his country, historical background, political
and social life, or personal experience. The search for identity and the clash of cultures
are popular themes in contemporary fiction. Diaspora and its impact on literature
evoke a corresponding attitude. Most immigrant writers look back on their homeland
with nostalgia and make creative writing an important tool.
Afghan-American literature, on the other hand, was formed in the 1990s.
Although the influence of American culture is noticeable in the examples of Afghan-
American literature created so far, the main theme of the works is the comparative
depiction of the pre-war, war, and post-war periods of Afghanistan.
A large group of creators came to America with their families, mainly as
political refugees from Afghanistan, in their teens, and, combining their diaspora
experience with their own culture, artistically depicted their social lifestyle in their
works.
The representatives of the Afghan-American diaspora literature are united by
the contrasting but commonalities of Eastern and Western traditions. They have
glorified religious and secular ideas in their works, without denying the cultures and
values of both countries.
Discussion.
Afghan-American writers describe the current political situation
in their works and address internal problems related to the ethnic and linguistic unity
of society. Afghan-American writers include such writers as Khalid Hosseini, Mir
Tamim Ansari, and Faruka Gawhari. Khalid Hosseini was born in 1965 in Kabul,
Afghanistan. His mother taught Persian and history at a girls' school, and his father
worked as a diplomat in the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The family
environment influenced Hosseini's development as a writer and his concern for the
plight of his country. The Hosseinis lived for a while in Tehran and then in Paris due
to his father's diplomatic mission. Due to political instability and constant subversive
activities in Afghanistan, with the help of American friends, they moved from France
to California and joined the immigrant community there. San Jose is the city where
Hosseini grew up and was educated, where he acquired both practical and theoretical
MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
149
knowledge and skills, first in biology and then in medicine [6]. In his works, Khaled
Hosseini depicts human relationships using unique literary techniques and reveals the
global problems of today through his literary population. Hosseini made a significant
contribution to the development of diaspora literature with his novels "The Kite
Runner", "A Thousand Splendid Suns", and "And the Mountains Echoed". Mir
Tamim Ansari was born on November 4, 1948, in Kabul, Afghanistan. In modern
Afghan-American literature, no writer has managed to weave the recent history of
Afghanistan into a literary text like Mir Tamim Ansari. Ansari, as an author of fiction
and an experienced teacher, teaches young writers how to write. He is also a renowned
speaker, speaking on topics related to history, politics, and culture. The creation of
his works is associated with oratory lectures, that is, sometimes the topic of a lecture
leads to the topic of a work of fiction, and vice versa, the topic of a book leads to the
topic of another lecture. His literary memoir, West of Kabul, East of New York, was
published in 2002 and brought the author great success. [10]
The writer came to the United States in 1964 and studied at a high school and
college. Later, he traveled to North Africa and Turkey in search of true Islam, where
he encountered Islamism. The writer loved various adventures since his adolescence.
Due to his travel memoirs and diverse life experiences, he attracted the
attention of listeners with lively lectures on various topics.
Ansari's work "Games without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of
Afghanistan" is a tragedy that speaks of the history of modern Afghanistan, and the
historical realities related to Afghanistan, which has witnessed invasions over the past
two centuries, are transformed into artistic reality.
Faruka Gavhari is a former professor at Kabul University in Afghanistan, a
research fellow in the biology department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha,
and a member of the editorial board of a book on the history of the Pashtuns in
Afghanistan. Writer and scholar Faruka Gavhari was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in
1947 to a civil servant family. The family moved frequently as her father was posted
to various parts of Afghanistan to improve the quality of education. Gavhari’s
“Searching for Saleem: An Afghan Woman’s Odyssey,” based on a fully biographical
MODERN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Выпуск журнала №-20
Часть–3_ Февраль –2025
150
method, was published in 1996 and is based on historical data. In the novel, the writer
recalls the prosperous times of his family and homeland before the 1978 revolution
in Afghanistan, and tries to artistically depict how happy the representatives of the
country, who are now in poverty, used to be.
Conclusion
. When studying Afghan-American literature, one can witness the
leading diasporic feature of this literature. In the works of the diaspora, both
geographical regions, that is, the perspective of the other place where the writer was
born and the perspective of the other place where he is creating, occupy a leading
position. A clearly visible phenomenon in diaspora literature is the mixing of the
culture of one nation and country with the culture of another nation and country. In
the works of writers working in the Afghan-American diaspora, the values and
stereotypes of the host country were skillfully incorporated into their works, which is
reflected in the fact that the destruction of cultural boundaries on an international scale
is a factor in the conditions of globalization.
REFERENCES:
1. В.И. Дятлов // Диаспоры. 1999. № 1.
2. Г. Шеффер // Диаспоры. 2003. № 1
3. Попков, В.Д. «Классические диаспоры»: к вопросу о дефиниции термина
[Текст] / В.Д. Попков // Диаспоры. 2002.
4. РУЗМАТОВА ДИЛНОЗА РАМАТЖАНОВНА: ХОЛИД ҲУСАЙНИЙ
АСАРЛАРИНИНГ БАДИИЙ ЎЗИГА ХОСЛИГИ, филология фанлари бўйича
фалсафа доктори (PhD) илмий даражасини олиш учун тайѐрланган
ДИССЕРТАЦИЯ
5. Тамим Ансари (alphapedia.ru)
6. Халед Хоссейни — биография, книги, отзывы, цитаты (livelib.ru)
7. Bolaffi, G. Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity and Culture [Text] / G. Bolaffi. SAGE
Publications London. Thousand Oaks. New Delhi First published. 2003.
8. Maryam Qudrat Aseel | Author | LibraryThing
9. R. Brubaker // Ethnic and Racial Studies. 2005. Vol.28. 10. Tamim Ansary -
Wikipedia
