Kevin Lee- Week 11 Blog Post

Regina Lee’s article “Theorizing Diasporas: Three Types of Consciousness” talks about how the diasporic community is composed of three different types of consciousness: “idealization of homeland, boutique multicultural manifestation, and transitional/transformational identity politics” (Lee). Lee’s article uses these three types of consciousness as a way to help us understand diasporic communities better and what kind of anxieties or struggles that diasporic communities have. The term “diaspora” does not have a specific definition to it and does not determine or limit what a diaspora is or can become because there are many different types of diaspora in the world. Lee states that there is a “myth” where the diasporic communities believe that they will hopefully be able to return to their homeland one day after changing into what they envision. Even though I was born and raised here in the U.S., like my parents, I see Taiwan as my homeland, and I see myself in the Taiwanese diasporic community. Even though I don’t go back to Taiwan often, I still feel connected to the country because that is where my parents were born and raised. I feel a sense of connection to Taiwan because Taiwanese is how I identify myself. My Taiwanese identity makes up who I am, and if I cannot accept my identity, then who will, which shows my strong sense of connection to my homeland.

Question: Do every diasporic individual believe in these three types of consciousness? Do these three types of consciousness affect every diasporic community?

Work Cited:

“Theorizing Diasporas: Three Types of Consciousness.” Asian Diasporas: Cultures, Identities, Representations. Ed. Robbie Goh and Shawn Wong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2004. Online.

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