Memory, Migration, and Trauma: The Impact of Partition upon the Memory Cultures of Punjabi Diaspora Communities in the United States and Canada

Abstract

Partition is arguably one of the foundational events in creating modern South Asia. This is an event that engendered unprecedented waves of violence and trauma, the effects of which are still felt in the region today. Much has been made of the effects of Partition upon the region itself. Partition, however, also still holds a seminal place in the history of Punjabi diaspora communities. I will consider the effects of Partition upon Punjabi diaspora communities who are based in the United States of America (USA) and Canada. This thesis will deal in three distinct areas of study, with the intention of providing a valuable addition to these fields. These three areas of study are the fields of memory studies, Partition histories, and diaspora studies. In particular, I hinge this analysis upon two specific research questions, the first of which is to consider the particular memory cultures that have been produced in the US and Canadian Punjabi diaspora due to Partition. The second of these questions considers how these memory cultures impact the ways that Punjabi diaspora communities behave and perceive themselves and the communities that they interact with. Considered together, both questions will contribute to a holistic understanding of the aftereffects and influence of Partition upon the diaspora. This analysis takes a solely qualitative methodological approach. The first section of this analysis focuses on the oral histories of Punjabis who now reside in the diaspora, focusing specifically on those who are second or third generation migrants to North America, and the second section of this paper hinges upon a media analysis of references to Partition by well-known Punjabi musical artists. This paper will conclude that the effects of Partition are still deeply felt by the Punjabi diaspora community in North America to this day. These impacts are deeply held despite the huge temporal and spatial differences between a diaspora community residing in the USA or Canada in 2026, and the events of Partition in Punjab in 1947. Specifically, I will conclude that there are intergenerational differences in approaches to Partition memorialisation. Older generations construct a culture of silence around Partition memorialisation, due to the impacts of trauma and violence, whereas younger generations prefer to approach Partition with more understanding and make attempts to build bridges between communities who were affected by the violence of 1947. Partition, for the Punjabi diaspora in north American also becomes bound into wider societal narratives of resistance, survival, and trauma. In particular, Partition becomes a key facet of a wider story of migration and struggle to enter the USA and Canada. The impacts of Partition become another chapter in a migration journey that also includes the involvement of early diaspora communities in activism or resistance movements against the British in India, anti-immigration policy against Punjabi communities throughout the 20th century, and the more recent impacts of 9/11 and current political instabilities on the rights of Punjabi immigrant communities in the USA. As part of the conclusion, this paper also speaks directly to policymakers, by offering a series of lessons about the self-perception and behaviours of Punjabi diaspora communities. These lessons are aimed to aid policymakers in producing policy that is more responsive to the needs of Punjabi communities in North America.