Diasporic Discourse during the American Colonial War as Reflected in The American Granddaughter

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the diaporic Iraqis’ bitter experiences during the American invasion in Iraq. The writer, Anaam Kachachi, presents her own struggle to assert self-identity throughout her autobiographical writings, she first was as an exile from Iraq, and later she immigrates to Paris. In Kachachi’s the American Grandduaghter, Kachachi expresses diasporic themes such as nostalgia, exile, hybridized^[1] identity, homesickness and patriotism. Further, she sets her novels against backdrop of the American colonization and dictatorship of Iraqi Sadam Hussien. In other words, she explores the reality of the American colonial war on Iraqi citizens throughout representing some characters such as; Zeina’s grandmother, Rahm, and Tawoos’s son, Muhaymen. Therefore, Kachachi gives voice to the Iraqi marginalized nations to prove their patriotism, when Zeina says, “I just repeat after my father: I’d give my right hand if I should ever forget you, Baghdad” (AD^[2]  180). Kachachi attempts to draw the attention of the readers towards the process of neo-colonialism and U.S. invasion of the Arab-Islamic countries on the disguise of liberation, democracy, development and human rights…, etc.

[1]hybridized identity: the term ‘hybridity’ is related to critical theorist, HomiBhabha, he is an Indian-British scholar. One of his central ideas is that of "hybridisation," which, taking up from Edward Said's work, describes new cultural forms from identity fragmentation. Bhabha shows how its histories and cultures constantly intrude on the present, demanding that we transform our understanding of cross-cultural relations. His work transformedto colonial texts.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homi_K._Bhabha

[2]  Kachachi’s novel, The American Granddaughter.