EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CULTURE:IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN IN THE U.S. DIASPORA

Abstract

This work considers the ways in which the cultural events in the US have impacted the confidence of the South Asian women and the way they view themselves in various social environments. With the increased migration of South Asians to the cities and towns in the United States, fairs, festivals, concerts, and art shows are gaining relevance as cultural events. Here women will be able to connect with their origin, demonstrate their identity, and feel more positive about themselves. Diaspora theory, socialization theory, and intersectional feminism will be applied in the study to examine how such occurrences assist women to cope with the multifaceted culture of their home nations in respect to their lives in the United States. Its approach will involve the combination of such methods as interviews, observation of the community, analysis of events, and data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center. The findings therefore show that the involvement in the cultural activities promotes leadership, intergenerational relationship and civic participation. Majority of the women begin by volunteering or performing and with time, most of them end up becoming organizers, advocates and community developers. In both these roles, they become more visible to the outside and inside of their ethnic community. Notably, the paper identifies the establishment of social capital as a result of such endeavors as the women learn skills and contacts useful in politics, lobbying, taking governmental offices. The study recommends that there should be greater institutional backing and enhanced government funding of cultural programs that are led by women to appreciate their input towards arguments of inclusion and social integration.