Migrant warriors and transnational lives: constructing a Gurkha diaspora
2015; Routledge; Volume: 39; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/01419870.2015.1080377
ISSN1466-4356
Autores Tópico(s)Migration, Refugees, and Integration
ResumoThe Nepalese Gurkhas have often been regarded as brave warriors in the scheme of British military recruitment since the 1800s. Today, their descendants have settled in various parts of South East and South Asia. How can one conceive of a Gurkha diaspora, and what are the Gurkhas and their families' experiences of belonging in relation to varied migratory routes? This paper locates Gurkhas as migrants by deliberating upon the connection between military service and migration paths. I employ the lens of methodological transnationalism to elucidate how the Gurkha diaspora is both constructed and experienced. Diasporic consciousness and formation undergo modification alongside subsequent cycles of migration for different members of a diaspora. The article thus evaluates the transnational lives of migrants, and how these are connected to re-territorialized dimensions of identity and belonging.
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