By addressing questions of culture, identity and politics, Cartographies of Diaspora throws new light on discussions about 'difference' and 'diversity', informed by feminism and post-structuralism. It examines these themes by exploring the intersections of 'race', gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity, generation and nationalism in different discourses, practices and political contexts.
The first three chapters map the emergence of 'Asian' as a racialized category in post-war British popular and political discourse and state practices. It documents Asian cultural and political responses paying particular attention to the role of gender and generation. The remaining six chapters analyse the debate on 'difference', 'diversity' and 'diaspora' across different sites, but mainly within feminism, anti-racism, and post-structuralism.