Oldal 149 [149]
OCR
THIRD SPACE: AN INTERCULTURAL NEGOTIATION OF SOUTH ÁSIAN DIASPORA IN CANADA member, the spaces outside his/her/their "home" (diasporic communities), rooted in the mainstream discourses of their host society is the Second Space. These discourses are seen in the Canadian context, as cultures relating to art, cuisine, literature, humour, politics, religion, history and social influences grounded in European traditions, especially British and French” with a massmedia highly influenced by imports from America. Such influence arguably contributes further to a North American identity over a Canadian one. In the South Asian diaspora’s movement away from their “First Space” to the “Second Space”, the diasporic member often feels lost, homesick and isolated. They choose to enter these spaces to participate in the exchange of services, labour and commercial activities. However, there is an insecurity in accessing cultural and social spheres. Psychological studies see these insecurities as a contributing factor to “cultural bereavement.”'? The bereavement of firstgeneration immigrants is often difficulties expressing their corresponding South Asian socio-linguistic and cultural identities. Observably leading to a cautionary cognitive behaviour when accessing mainstream cultural spaces of their Western host societies. Contributing reasons are language and cultural barriers on both spectra. This makes up the “home-work” relationship between ethnic minorities and their Western host societies — the duality “First Space” and “Second Space” in the study of minoritymainstream cultures. This host-hostee dynamic is often echoed in ethnic and diasporic media and other forms of expressions seen as “third media.” Apart from aid in the cost associated with initial immigration and other financial support, the social capital of the South Asian minority is a kinship network: comprising of friends and family, filling in emotional and socio-psychological needs.!f The absence of this kinship network in the Second Space of their host societies for many first-generation immigrants means seclusion within the First Space. This can lead to an integration process that doesn't require active social, cultural and English/French language learning. Arguably, the lack of non-essential intercultural encounters in both cultural and social terms also restricts the actors in the Second Space from being aware of multidimensional South Asian minority identities. This becomes a crucial factor in intercultural communication lapses due to the lack of meaningful cultural exchange between ethnic minorities and mainstream identities. Sana Loue — Martha Sajatovic (eds.), Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health, New York, Springer, 2011, 337. Dinesh Bhugra et al., Cultural Bereavement, Culture Shock and Culture Conflict: Adjustments and Reactions, in: Dinesh Bhugra — Susham Gupta (eds.), Migration and Mental Health, Cambridge, Cambridge University, 2010, 139-148. Cecilia Menjivar, Immigrant Kinship Networks and the Impact of the Receiving Context: Salvadorans in San Francisco in the Early 1990s, Social Problems, Vol. 44, No. 1 (1997), 104-123. + 147 +
