CULTURAL IDENTITY AND DIASPORA REPRESENTATION IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GLOBAL LITERATURE

Abstract

This study article explores the evolving discourse of cultural identity and diaspora representation in twenty-first-century global literature, emphasizing a shift from fixed, essentialist notions of identity toward fluid, hybrid, and process-oriented frameworks. Grounded in Stuart Hall’s theory of cultural identity as an ongoing “production” and Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of the Third Space, the study examines how contemporary diaspora narratives negotiate belonging within increasingly globalized and interconnected cultural landscapes. It traces the historical development of diaspora studies from early prototypical models to its current late-modern phase, shaped by globalization, intensified migration, and transcultural literary practices. The article further investigates the significant impact of post-9/11 geopolitics, including securitization, surveillance, Islamophobia, and the global refugee crisis, on diasporic representation in literature. Works by authors such as Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsie illustrate how migrant identities are reconfigured under conditions of political tension, racialization, and state control, often foregrounding trauma and contested citizenship. In addition, the emergence of digital diasporas is analyzed, highlighting how social media and digital platforms reshape identity formation by enabling transnational connectivity while also producing fragmentation and new forms of surveillance. An intersectional perspective is incorporated to examine how gender, sexuality, class, and race intersect in shaping diasporic experiences, revealing the complexity of identity negotiation in migrant contexts. The study also identifies recurring literary motifs such as home, language, and memory as central to diasporic consciousness. Overall, the article argues that twenty-first-century diaspora literature reflects a dynamic reconfiguration of belonging, where identity is continuously constructed across cultural, geopolitical, and digital spaces in an increasingly fragmented yet interconnected world.