Residential Affiliation In M.G. Vassanji’s Novel “No New Land”

Abstract

The historical context of Indian labourers moving to East Africa due to British colonialism, and their subsequent departure during the decolonization period, is a backdrop to many of Vassanji's novels. This displacement forms a foundation for exploring the themes of belonging and identity within the immigrant experience. The Indian community’s relocation from Africa to Canada, as depicted in "No New Land," touches upon the intricacies of their identity crisis. Having been uprooted twice—first from India to Africa, and then from Africa to Canada—these immigrants face unique challenges in defining their sense of home and belonging. The concept of an ethnic enclave is used in the novel to depict this struggle, where the immigrant protagonists choose to live in a predominantly South Asian residential building in Don Mills. An ethnic enclave, like the one in "No New Land," can offer a sense of security and community for immigrants by providing a familiar cultural landscape within an unfamiliar country. However, as the novel illustrates, such enclaves can also lead to what Vassanji terms "residential affliction," a condition where immigrants might feel confined within their cultural community, which could hinder their integration into the wider society. The "Affliction" in the novel and the broader experience of the immigrant community represents the pain and challenges of maintaining one's cultural heritage while facing the pressures of assimilation and acceptance in a new land. Vassanji’s depiction of these experiences in his novels invites readers to understand the intricacies of immigrant life, the emotional and cultural dilemmas faced by those who live in ethnic enclaves, and how these factors contribute to the collective ethnic record of the community.