(Re)imagining nationalism: identity and representation in the Tibetan diaspora of South Asia

Abstract

In this article the focus is on various embodied and embedded narratives shaping Tibetan identity today, especially among the diasporic Tibetans living in South Asia. It is argued that it is not only Westerners who have exoticised Tibet and the Tibetans; the Tibetan diaspora too have invested heavily in such (neo)orientalist representation strategies for their own tactical purposes. The first part of the article is devoted to the conceptual issues involved, including the question of identity, nationalism and diaspora. The second part deals with various dynamics and factors shaping the discourse of 'Tibetanness' in the diaspora community. The third part concludes with observations that challenge assumptions about a single discourse of Tibetanness.