HSC English First Paper - Unit Eleven - Diaspora

Unit Eleven: Diaspora

Lesson I: What is Diaspora?

1. Warm up activity:

□ You can find the meaning of 'Diaspora* in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary which provides the following definitions of the word:

a. the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland

b. people settled far from their ancestral homelands

c. the place where these people live

□ Can you think of the word in relation to people you know in Bangladesh who have settled abroad? Which parts of the world do Bangladeshis tend to settle in nowadays? Discuss with your friends whether it is possible to call such settlements the result of Bangladeshi diasporas of our time.

2. Read the passage and then carry out the activities that follow:

The term 'diaspora' is used to refer to people who have left their homelands and settled in other parts of the world, either because they were forced to do so or because they wanted to leave on their own. The word is increasingly used for such people as a collective group and/or a community. The world has seen many diasporas but scholars have been studying the phenomenon with great interest only 5 in recent decades.

Among the great diasporas of history is that of the Jewish people, who were forced to leave their lands in ancient times. The movement of Aryans from Central Europe to the Indian sub-continent thousands of years ago is also a noteworthy diaspora, although the causes of this diaspora are unclear. In twentieth century history, the 10 Palestinian diaspora has attracted a lot of attention and been a cause of concern for world leaders because of the plight of Palestinians. There have been massive diasporas in Africa, too, over the centuries, either because of war or because of the ravages of nature. But the chief reason why the phenomenon of diaspora is attracting so much attention now is globalization. 15

3. Guess the meanings of the words in Column A from the context and match them with the meanings given in Column B:

Column A	Column B
a. settled	i. occurrence
b. community	ii. significant
c. noteworthy	iii. moved to
d. ravages	iv. negative effects
e. phenomenon	v. group of people

4. Answer the following questions:

a. Are all diasporas voluntary?

b. If all diasporas are not voluntary, why would a group of people want to leave their country?

c. When has the study of diasporas started to attract scholars?

d. What are some of the major diasporas of the past?

e. What has globalization to do with diasporas?

5. Put the following words/phrases in a chronological order:

a. over the centuries

b. twentieth century

c. recent decades

d. now

e. ancient times

f. thousands of years ago

□ Now make six sentences with each of these words/phrases.

□ Can you think of some other words/phrases that are used in English writing to mark time?

6. Write a paragraph of about 150 words on people you know or have read about who have moved from Bangladesh to other parts of the world in recent years.

7. Answer the following questions in one word:

a. What would be the noun form for someone who has settled in a new world?

b. What is the plural form phenomenon'?

c. What part of speech is 'massive" in the phrase 'massive diasporas'?

d. Can you think of some other words that can substitute for 'although' in line 8 of the passage?

e. What is the simple present form of 'is attracting'?

8. Follow up activity: Group Presentation

In groups, discuss some of the connections between globalization and diasporas. On the basis of the discussion, give group presentations on recent diasporas and their link to global economic activity.

Lesson 2: 'Banglatown' in East London

1. Warm up activity:

□ Can we call the movement of groups of people from Bangladesh in recent decades a diaspora? Where do these Bangladeshis like to settle? Which parts of Bangladesh have been characterized by the departure of such groups and what are the reasons why people have left these parts?

2. Bead the following extract taken from Nazli Kibria's book, Muslims in Motion:

Mam and National Identity in the Bangladeshi Diaspora. Then attempt to answer the questions that follow either by responding to your classroom teacher in English or by trying to write down answers to them in your notebook.

'Banglatown' in East London

British-Bangladeshis, also known as British-Bengalis, are an important part of the Bangladeshi diaspora or those of Bangladeshi origin who are living abroad. Almost half of all British-Bangladeshis live in London, especially in the East London boroughs, of which Tower Hamlets has the highest concentration.

Today a tourist who is new to London may well decide to make her way over to the 5 

East End of the city, to visit Banglatown. After exiting the Tube Station there she might follow the signs that point to Brick Lane, a street that has gained certain notoriety from Monica Ali's best-selling novel of the same name, which was also made into a movie. She may decide to try out one of the many Bangladeshi restaurants she sees there for lunch. Sitting at one of the tables with a window onto 10 

the street, she might notice that the street signs are not just in English but also in Bengali.

And the lamp-posts are in green and red - the colors of the Bangladeshi flag. In fact everywhere she looks she finds visual cues of the Bangladeshi, and even more specifically, the Sylheti presence in the area. Storefronts advertise flights from London to Sylhet, some on Bangladesh Biman (the national airline of Bangladesh) 15 

and others on Air Sylhet, a private airline company formed by British Bangladeshis. There is a sign for Sonali Bank - the major state-owned commercial bank of Bangladesh. 

There is a food store advertising frozen fish from Sylhet's Surma River. She watches two elderly men with long, grey beards enter the store; they are dressed in long white tunics, baggy pants and white head caps. She sees a group of teenage 20

girls walking down the street in animated conversation. One is dressed in a black burkah and the others are in jeans and long shirts, along with bright sequined hijabs on their heads. Looking through her London guidebook, she reads about how this neighborhood is in 'Banglatown'.

In 2001 British Bangladeshi leaders, including many of the second-generation 25

activists, led a successful bid via the Tower Hamlets council to gain the official designation of 'Banglatown' for Brick Lane and its surrounding neighbourhoods. With the help of street signs and an advertising campaign, the hope was to give the area a distinct cultural identity that would be attractive to tourists and thus beneficial for Bangladeshi businesses located there. 

In fact the area has a number of visible 30

Bangladeshi landmarks, such as Altab Ali Park, the Kobi Nazrul Cultural Centre and the Shohid Minar Monument. Along with the official designation of Banglatown, these landmarks are matters of considerable pride for many British Bangladeshis, symbols of their hard-won presence and political voice in Britain.

3. Write down what you have guessed about the meaning of each of the following words from the context in which they have been used:

a. origin

b. borough

c. concentration

d. notoriety

e. cues

f. tunics

g. bid

h. distinct

i. landmarks

j. hard-won

Now consult a dictionary or search Google for the words to see if you have guessed the meanings of the word correctly.

4. Discuss the following questions with members of your group. Carry on the discussion in English as far as possible:

a. Where do most British-Bangladeshis live?

b. How and why did Brick Lane gain 'notoriety'?

c. What is the name of Monica Ali's novel and the film made based on it?

d. What are some signs and symbols of Bangladesh to be found in the Brick Lane area?

e. How did the area come to be known as 'Banglatown'?

f. What are some of the landmarks that reflect the pride of British-Bangladeshis about their identity as Bangladeshis?

5. Which of the following statements seem to be false and which true? Tick 'T' or 'F' after each statement to register your response:

a. Most Bangladeshis in Britain live outside London. T/F

b. Everywhere in Brick Lane, one sees evidence of the high percentage of Bangladeshis from Sylhet who live in the area. T/F

c. Bangladeshis in Brick Lane lack confidence in their future. T/F

d. There was no business motive in the drive to make the Brick Lane area known as

'Banglatown'. T/F

e. Bangladeshis have made their presence felt in Britain through hard work. T/F

6. Answer each of the questions in about 300 words in your notebook:

a. Why would a tourist in London want to visit Banglatown and what would be its main attraction for him or her?

b. Who are the customers of the shops, restaurants and business offices in Banglatown?

c. Are there other Bangladeshi diasporas that are comparable in size and vitality to Banglatown that you know about?

d. What connection does the economy of Banglatown have with that of

Bangladesh?

7. Answer the following:

a. 'origin' (line 2) is used in the passage as a noun; what would be its verb form?

b. Is 'especially' (line 3) used as an adjective or an adverb?

c. 'best-selling novel' (line 8) is a phrase where 'best-selling' is used as an to

modify 'novel'.

d. 'advertise' (linel4) is a verb; its noun would be .

e. 'animated' (line 21) is used as an adjective; what would its adverb form be?

8. Follow up activity: Group Presentation

Make a presentation on the history of diasporas, mentioning some of the most famous diasporas that have been recorded in history, religion and culture, such as the Palestinian diaspora.

Lesson 3: Bangladeshis in Italy

1. Warm up activity:

□ Find out the reasons why large groups of people from other parts of the world have migrated to Bangladesh and settled down over the ages. Also, discuss how and why in recent times Bangladeshis have gone abroad to seek a new life for themselves.

2. Read the following passage by Ihtisham Kabir and then attempt the activities that follow:

Bangladeshis in Italy

Last month, a 20-year dream came true: we visited Italy. While it was an amazing lesson in history, I was also taken by surprise at the Bangladeshis in Italy. I heard estimates of between 200,000 and 600,000 Bangladeshis in Italy.

I saw them in Rome, Florence and Venice (but not in Siena.) The ones I saw all had small to medium-size businesses. In Rome, they were selling handbags, sunglasses and tourist material on the streets. In Florence, we walked into a store selling 'Indian-looking' things - a 'monohori dokan' -only to find the owner was a Bangladeshi who had a chain of these stores in the city.

In Venice, they were selling trinkets-like little puppets made from balloons - on the Accademia Bridge and in San Marco Square. One seller told me these would not sell in Rome, but in Venice the tourists buy them.

They were incredibly kind and polite to us. The person in Florence-much to our protestations-treated us with cokes and ice cream, and sold things to us at large discounts. When it came to prices, they said "Pay us what you want-we are so happy to see a Bangladeshi tourist here." It was a kind of haggling in reverse. One street vendor in Rome, after selling a sunglass at 18 Euro to a European person, turned around and sold me a similar sunglass at 4.5 Euro. I wanted to pay him more, but, incredible as it seems, he would not take it. I think this barely covered his cost.

At a mini-flea-market of Bangladeshi stalls at the Tiburtina station in Rome, I fell into a discussion of the business. It costs them 1000-2000 Euros a month to rent each stall.

The work is very hard, and they live frugally. So they are able to save some money which they send home.

One seller in Venice said he can save up to Euro 1000 a month, but only if a lot of conditions are met (e.g. he has to sell an average of 50 euros' worth daily; his food expenses cannot exceed Euro 80/month, etc.)

I was inspired by their entrepreneurship and touched by their generosity and hope their Diaspora comes true soon.

Here is a stall at the mini-flea market outside Tiburtina:

3. Guess the meanings of the words in Column A from the context and match them with the meanings given in Column B:

Column A	Column B
amazing	hard to believe
chain of stores	surprising
protestation	a set of shops
incredible	economically
frugally	complaints
entrepreneurship	owning business
generosity	go beyond
exceed	a market set out dress that sells second hand or cheap goods
the market	kindness

4. Answer the following questions:

a. What was the author's dream and what did he expect to see in Italy?

b. What are some of the occupations of the Bangladeshis the author met in Italy?

c. How was the author treated by the expatriate Bangladeshis?

d. What kind of bargaining took place between the author and some of these Bangladeshis?

e. What kind of savings do these Bangladeshis make and what do they do with them?

f. What is the author's feeling about these expatriate Bangladeshis?

5. Read the following statements and write 'T' if a statement is true and 'F' if it is false. In case of false statements, correct the information.

a. The author was not impressed by Italy's history.

b. The Bangladeshis the author met were big businessmen.

c. These Bangladeshis treated the author as they would do other customers.

d. The Bangladeshis he met were delighted to meet the author.

e. The Bangladeshi businessmen he met often sold him goods at low prices.

f. The author was deeply moved by his experience of meeting Bangladeshis in Italy.

6. What do the following idioms and phrases mean?

a. taken by surprise

b. haggling in reverse

c. estimates of

d. fell into a discussion of

e. if conditions were met

f. turned around

7. Convert the following into present tense:

a. was an amazing lesson

b. was taken by surprise

c. were selling

d. had a chain of stores

e. treated us with

f. would not take

8. Follow up activity: Group Presentation

Find out from the Internet or by talking to people more about Bangladeshis in Europe, the USA and Canada. What kind of work do Bangladeshis do in these countries? Give short presentations in the next class based on your findings.

Lesson 4: Bangladeshi Community in the UK

1. Warm up activity:

□ In the preceding lessons, we have looked at the lives of diasopric Bangladeshis in Brick Lane and Italy; the following passage, adapted from an academic essay by Tanzina Chowdhnry, Is about the history of Bangladeshi migration to UK Read it and then carry out the activities that follow:

2. Text

Bangladeshi Community in the UK

Migration from Bangladesh to Britain started in 1930s and was predominantly a Sylheti phenomenon. Men of this particular geographical area employed by the British ship companies first started the process of migration. These men were largely illiterate and belonged to the landless peasantry. After the World War II, due to labor shortages, British government encouraged labor migration from its former colonies. The postwar British economy demanded cheap and plentiful labor, much of which was recruited from South Asia. 

Since Sylhet had already forged a strong link with the UK, most new labor was drawn from there. Sylhetis, based in the UK, helped each other to integrate into the new society by providing credit, arranging documents, and gradually spreading the network. During the 1950s, the numbers increased dramatically. However, along with people from poorer backgrounds, a small number of urban upper and middle class Bangladeshis also migrated even before the World War II for higher education and settled in the UK.

According to the 2001 census, 283,063 Bangladeshis lived in the UK, which is 0.5 percent of the total population. In Britain, they are primarily concentrated in Greater London and the third generation of Bangladeshi population, those 'born and bred' in Britain, constitute half of the community. The largest Bangladeshi population outside London is located in Oldham, and the others are scattered across Birmingham, Luton and Bradford. British Bangladeshis are predominantly Muslims. Studies reveal that the second and the third generation Bangladeshis seem to uphold their Muslim identity rather than their identity as Bangladeshis.

However, the absence of a strong tie does not mean that the Bangladeshi community is completely detached from their homeland. In the era of globalization and social networking, like other diaspora communities, British Bangladeshis are also linked to their countries of origin by phone, mail, Internet and television. By the virtue of technological advancement, communication of news is rapid and sustained, which gives migrant communities a sense of belonging to multiple homes. In particular, the first generation of migrants continues to regard Bangladesh as central to their identity.

3. Guess the meanings of the words in Column A from the context and match them with the meaning given in Column B:

Column A	Column B
Illiterate	Abundant
Plentiful	Survey
Census	Uneducated
Credit	Compose
Documents	Personality
Constitute	linking with others
social networking	loans
Identity	papers

4. Answer the following questions:

a. Who were the first generation of Bangladeshis to migrate to Sylhet and how did they migrate?

b. Who were the second generation of Bangladeshi migrants in Britain and what reasons did they have for going to Britain?

c. Which class dominated in the first two generations of Bangladeshi migrants to Britain? Were all the migrants in the 1950s illiterate and poor?

d. Where do Bangladeshi migrants prefer to settle down in Britain?

e. How do Bangladeshi migrants in Britain connect to their country at this time?

f. According to the passage, which generation of Bangladeshi migrants is most closely connected to Bangladesh and which generation feels the least for the country?

5. This is an academic essay, based on research and surveys. Point out words and phrases used in the passage that indicate the academic nature of the writing.

6. The passage is organized on the basis of chronology i.e. in order of occurrence in time. Show how the writer carefully organizes the information assembled in the passage according to time periods and generations.

7. Discuss the use of facts and figures in the passage. What purposes do they serve? How are they organized?

8. Quite a few of the words used in the passage end with -ly such as 'predominantly' and 'completely'. Make a list of these words. What purpose do they serve? What parts of speech do they belong to? Now make sentences of your own with these words.