[Discussion] Submissions on the theme of immigration and memory for the journal 'Diasporas'

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

*Submissions on the theme of immigration and memory for the journal
'Diasporas'*

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 From the complex mix of amnesia, nostalgia, denial, and/or return
emerge the itinerant memories of migrant groups. The forthcoming issue
of Diasporas: Histoires et soci=E9t=E9s seeks submissions relating to the
theme of migrant memories, the dynamics shaping the collective memories
of migrant experiences, and the ways in which these memories take on a
material form. Contributions are encouraged from specialists of social
science and humanities based disciplines.

Since G=E9rard Noiriel commented on the near absence of immigrant lieux d=
e
m=E9moire, a flurry of memorial activity has taken place, and nowhere has
this been more evident than in those European States which have been
traversed, nourished, and indeed shaped by the phenomenon of migration.
Much attention is focused on the retrospective, and yet contemporary
preocupations are never completely out of sight. In the quest for
recognition, certain communities display a fixation with the past which
is without precedent. The memorial activities of migrant associations
often seek justice against the silence, occlusion, and absence of their
histories from the commemorative activities of the nation states in
which they reside.

Initiating a commemorative project is a necessarily creative process
involving actions and landmarks, the material and the metaphoric, all of
which serve to give substance to the memory in question. There are a
multitude of forms open to analysis; ceremonies, pilgrimage, and
memorial rituals instantly spring to mind. Other examples include
cultural events, live performance, and protest movements. The
investigation of the various modes through which history is both
reappropriated and commemorated raises issues questions concerning the
interplay between the past and contemporary identities:

    * What are the dynamics shaping the appearance of a memorial and
      commemorative culture within a given community?
    * Is there a militant dimension to these new forms of public
      expression?
    * To what extent do transnational relations appear to awaken
      memories of former migratory networks, such as in the case of twin
      town arrangements?

References to migrant memories not only concern the identities of the
migrant groups themselves but also implicate the identities of the
nations in which migrants reside. This is particularly evident in the
construction of national museums dedicated to the histories and memories
of immigration. The project to establish a 'Cit=E9 nationale de l'histoir=
e
de l'immigration' in France is a case in point. A necessary question
revolves around the representational practices of such institutions; how
can the myriad of processes characterising displacement be reconstituted
with a view to producing some form of shared memory? Commemorations, the
invention of heritage, the production of memory, contemporary demands,
all involve a range of memorial activities that share neither the same
goal nor the same degree of exposure.

Instructions for submissions
In the first instance, abstracts not more than one page in length,
together with biographical details of the contributor should be
submitted before *December 5th, 2004.*

Please provide an electronic copy together with a hard copy. All
articles that are subsequently selected are subject to the evaluation by
two suitably qualified referees and to the editorial committee's approval=
.

Articles may be written in either English or French. The end of January
2005 is the final submission date for completed articles. The length
should not exceed more than 30,000 characters, spaces and footnotes
included.

	Laure Teuli=E8res
T=E9l: 00 33 56 15 04 305 / 00 33 56 15 03 566
Email: laure.teulieres@univ-tlse2.fr

Address
Equipe Diasporas - FRAMESPA
Maison de la recherche
Universit=E9 de Toulouse - Le Mirail
5 all=E9es Antonio Machado
F-31058 Toulouse cedex 9

Email: laure.teulieres@univ-tlse2.fr <mailto:laure.teulieres@univ-tlse2.f=
r>