Download full text
(external source)
Citation Suggestion
Please use the following Persistent Identifier (PID) to cite this document:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0002039720977495
Exports for your reference manager
Eritrea's Chosen Trauma and the Legacy of the Martyrs: The Impact of Postmemory on Political Identity Formation of Second-Generation Diaspora Eritreans
Eritreas "Chosen Trauma" und das Vermächtnis der Märtyrer: Der Einfluss von Postmemory auf die politische Identitätsbildung von Diaspora-Eritreerinnen und -Eritreern der zweiten Generation
[journal article]
Abstract In the collective memory of Eritreans, the liberation struggle against Ethiopia symbolises the heroic fight of their fallen martyrs against oppression. After independence, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front created an autocratic regime, which is adored by many second-generation diaspora Eritrean... view more
In the collective memory of Eritreans, the liberation struggle against Ethiopia symbolises the heroic fight of their fallen martyrs against oppression. After independence, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front created an autocratic regime, which is adored by many second-generation diaspora Eritreans living in democracies. I engage with bodies of literature exploring the political importance of collective trauma in post-conflict societies and apply two theoretical notions, "postmemory" and "chosen trauma," to explain how the government’s narrative of Eritrean history produced a culture of nationalism through the glorification of the martyrs. This narrative and the trauma experienced by their parents created experiences of postmemory among the second-generation diaspora that have influenced their worldview. I demonstrate how Eritrean pro-government activists utilise US-born artists who recently discovered their Eritreanness, such as Tiffany Haddish, to instil long-distance nationalism. The article is based on a social media analysis, long-term observation of Eritrean diaspora communities, and recent fieldwork.... view less
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Migration, Sociology of Migration
Free Keywords
Eritrea; postmemory; chosen trauma; second-generation diaspora; nationalism
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 19-38
Journal
Africa Spectrum, 56 (2021) 1
ISSN
1868-6869
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed