Diasporic Formation and Dislocated Identities in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland: Educational Reflections on Identity Construction and Cultural Displacement in Diaspora Narratives

Abstract

This paper investigates how diasporic identity is formed and dislocated through narratives in The Kitchen God’s Wife and The Lowland, using the lenses of postcolonial and diaspora studies. It emphasizes the educational significance of literature in fostering critical awareness of identity, hybridity, and adaptation across cultural contexts. The analysis highlights how literary texts can serve as pedagogical tools in helping students understand displacement, cultural negotiation, and the psychological impacts of migration. Drawing on Stuart Hall, Gayatri Gopinath, and James Clifford’s theories, the study engages with character development across generations, while underscoring the value of diaspora literature in global education curricula.