EVENTS

In the modern construct, the concept of diaspora not only encompasses groups of people who were forced to leave their homelands under unfavourable conditions, but also those who migrate voluntarily in search of trade, work, or other reasons. The Chinese diaspora in India represents a unique intersection of cultural heritage, economic mobility, and belonging. This presentation examines how individuals and families navigate the complexities of identity, mobility, and integration within and outside the Indian social fabric. Central to this exploration is an analysis of the negotiation process undertaken by members of the Chinese diaspora to reconcile their dual identities as both Chinese and Indian, especially after the border conflict in 1962. It also looks at the role of mobility within the diaspora, from the first migratory movement to India to the secondary movements back to China and to other Western countries. It examines how these movements shape notions of belonging for the ‘returnees’ and the ‘re-migrants’. Through an interdisciplinary lens, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of diaspora studies, migration dynamics, and multiculturalism in the Indian context.

About the Speaker

Severin Kuok has completed her PhD from the Centre for Chinese and South East Asian Studies, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is currently teaching Chinese language at the School of Global Affairs, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi as Guest Faculty. She was a recipient of the Vimla Saran Gold Medal for her accomplishment in Chinese language in 2012. She was the recipient of the ICS-HYI multi-year scholarship in 2014-15. She has many research publications in refereed journals and she has been engaged in several translation projects of which the most notable is a translation of short essays by one of China’s most well-known women writers Bing Xin, from Chinese into Hindi titled, Bing Xin ki Rachnavali (पिङ शिन की रचनावली). Currently she is engaged in the translation of a popular collection of nearly 500 short stories titled, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (聊斋志异), from classical Chinese into Hindi.

About the Chair

Ritu Agarwal is an Associate Professor at the Centre for East Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. She holds a PhD in Chinese studies from the University of Delhi. Her doctoral work explored the micro-level agrarian transformation in Yunnan province, and she is currently engaged in questions of provincial transformation, especially in Yunnan. Her research interests are rural political economy, urbanization, property rights, gender studies, and provincial and Chinese politics. She was a Visiting Scholar at Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, Kunming and a Visiting Fellow at Yunnan Minzu University, and Yunnan University. She is also an Honorary Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi.

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