South Asians in the Diaspora (Studies in the History of Religions, V. 101)

This volume deals with a phenomenon of increasing global significance, the South Asian diaspora. In particular it deals with the role of religion. The diversity of religious life in South Asia is remarkable and much of this diversity is replicated in the diaspora communities around the world. The case studies in this book explore and analyse the social, religious and cultural reality of people in the diaspora belonging to Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism and originating from four of the South Asian nation states (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). The book highlights the religious diversity that exists in the diaspora communities both across the traditions and within the particular religions. CONTENTS......Page 11 Introduction......Page 15 I. JAINS AND BUDDHISTS......Page 31 The Jain Plate: The Semiotics of the Diaspora Diet......Page 33 (Re) Creating Transnational Religious Identity within the Jaina Community of Toronto......Page 53 Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhism in London: Religiosity and Communal Activities of a Diaspora Community......Page 82 II. HINDUS......Page 105 Becoming a Colour of the Rainbow: The Social Integration of Indian Hindus in Trinidad, Analysed along a Phase Model Diaspora......Page 107 The Hindu Diaspora in The Netherlands: Halfway Between Local Structures and Global Ideologies......Page 127 Tamil Hindu Places of Worship in Germany......Page 146 Establishing Ritual Space in the Hindu Diaspora in Norway......Page 164 The Hindu Religious Traditions in Minnesota......Page 179 Reversing the Gaze in America: Parody in Divali Performance at Connecticut College......Page 191 The Swaminarayan Movement......Page 210 III. CHRISTIANS......Page 231 Transformation of Marriage Patterns in the Kerala Diaspora in the U.S.......Page 233 Rethinking Hybridity: The Syro-Malabar Church in North America......Page 250 IV. MUSLIMS......Page 271 Negotiating Identities: The Case of Indian Muslims in South Africa......Page 273 Structural and Cultural Racism in the Educational Underachievement of British South Asian Muslims......Page 299 Embracing Allah and Sexuality? South-Asian Non-Heterosexual Muslims in Britain......Page 324 V. PARSIS AND SIKHS......Page 341 The Zoroastrian Diaspora......Page 343 Mobilising seva (”Service”): Modes of Sikh Diasporic Action......Page 367 VI. SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITIES: SOME KEY ISSUES......Page 403 Taxonomy of the Indian Diaspora in South Africa: Problems and Issues in Defining Their Identity......Page 405 Punjabi Religion Amongst the South Asian Diaspora in Britain: The Role of the Baba......Page 423 Haunting Stories: Narrative Transmissions of South Asian Identities in Diaspora......Page 445 Performances of Multiculturalism: South Asian Communities in Sydney......Page 465 Hindus and Sikhs: Community Development and Religious Discrimination in England and Wales......Page 484 Future Prospects......Page 528 Contributors......Page 531 C......Page 537 F......Page 538 I......Page 539 M......Page 540 P......Page 541 S......Page 542 Z......Page 543 This work deals with a phenomenon of increasing global significance, the South Asian diaspora. The case studies explore and analyze the social, religious and cultural reality of people in the diaspora belonging to Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism Edited By Knut A. Jacobsen And P. Pratap Kumar. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.