In her keynote address at the Red Clay Writer’s Conference in Georgia, Soniah Kamal talked about the South Asian immigrant experience in America’s southern region. She pondered the sense of displacement and the quest for belonging that defined this experience, raising thought-provoking questions. Kamal questioned the notion of when a country ceases to feel foreign to immigrants and whether they ever come to view themselves as natives.

These existential queries, steeped in the historical backdrop of racial violence in the American South, coupled with the fear of perpetual unhappiness within oneself amid the routine of daily life, form the underlying themes of the stories and essays in ‘South to South: Writing South Asia in the American South’, a collection curated by Khem K Aryal.

The solitary essence of the immigrant experience can be observed in many of the recent books published about the diasporic experience in the US. ‘Parshwadhun’, a book that explores the themes of migration and identity of Nepali immigrants, highlights an elderly character willing to take his life, facing the reality of his profound loneliness in the US. This same spiralling despair can be observed in nearly all of the stories in this collection, namely Aruni Kashyap’s ‘Nafisa Ali’s life, love and friendships, before and after the travel ban’, which follows Nafisa, a successful woman whose denial about her ‘staid’ life takes a sharp turn following Trump’s declaration of travel ban on Muslim nations.

In an intricately curated tale in the collection, Kashyap explores the harsh realities faced by individuals living alone in a foreign land. Despite Nafisa’s professional success, she grapples with the emptiness of separation from her family and husband. Her solitude manifests in voyeuristic tendencies as she becomes captivated by her neighbour couples, though she outwardly maintains a facade of feeling inferior to them. Kashyap skillfully unravels Nafisa’s inner desires for passion, freedom and excitement, mirroring the yearnings she seeks in her own life.

Another moving story is ‘Nature Exchange’ by Sindya Bhanoo, which delves into themes of grief and renewal. Veena struggles to come to terms with the loss of her young son, instead finding solace in collecting items from nature, things he once cherished, to exchange at a nature centre.

In ‘South to South’, palpable, human despair is a binding theme, and Bhanoo’s harrowing portrayal of a grieving mother shows the veracity of the void the death of a child will bring and the psychological toll it brings when they try to fill that hole. Bhanoo's narrative intersects with the broader ‘American experience’ as Veena’s son fell victim to a school shooting, spotlighting the pervasive issue of gun violence in the US.

Similarly, Sayantani Dasgupta’s essay ‘Rinse, Repeat’ offers a glimpse into the sombre realities of life in the US. Dasgupta reflects on her inner turmoil as she contemplates her response to the impending Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. While evacuating from a hurricane-threatened area may seem like a swift decision, Dasgupta’s hesitation reveals the complex emotions of attachment and the sacrifices involved when facing an impending disaster.

Dasgupta’s relocation from Idaho to North Carolina, driven by financial struggles and hard work, underscores a universal experience. For her and many others, the question of self-preservation entails weighing the efforts and sacrifices invested in building a new life. It is only after a heartfelt conversation with her parents in New Delhi that Dasgupta decides to return to Idaho. Across vast distances, families serve as emotional anchors during moments of isolation, underscoring the deeply human connections explored in ‘South to South’.

The authors of these collections also acknowledge the complex history of the American South, marked by the Civil War and years of racial violence. In Anjali Enjeti’s ‘Drinking Sea to Savannah’, she reflects on the verbal racism encountered during a trip with friends to Savannah, Georgia. Enjeti keenly feels the impact of discrimination on her psyche as a brown-skinned woman, illustrating the enduring scars of such encounters. Tarfia Faizullah’s ‘Necessary Failure’ similarly recounts experiences of racism, highlighting its lingering effects.

Likewise, Kirtan Nautiyal’s exploration of his fascination with the Civil War prompts questions about the notion of 'Americanness' in a society that often fails to fully embrace diversity. These stories provoke reflection on whether the legacy of racial violence and the struggle against it will ever truly fade. A single incident of racism or a journey into the shadows of history can evoke profound existential questions about one's place in society.

The effort to preserve one’s cultural heritage is an integral aspect of the South Asian experience in America, as depicted in ‘South to South’. Hasanthika Sirisena’s story ‘Pine’ portrays a mother's struggle to maintain her cultural traditions. Initially resistant to the idea of a Christmas tree due to their Buddhist background, Laxmi eventually relents to her son’s insistence. This narrative reflects the broader challenges faced by immigrant families in adapting to a society that often perceives them as outsiders, highlighting the pressure to assimilate.

Similarly, Khem K Aryal’s story ‘Mrs Sharma’s Halloween’ from the collection ‘The In-betweeners’ explores this struggle. The grandmother, dismayed by the unfamiliar American celebration, urges her son to return to Nepal. However, she eventually comes to terms with the happiness of her son's family in the US, reconciling her desire to return to her homeland with the reality of their lives abroad. ‘South to South'’underscores the reality that embracing Western culture often requires immigrants to make significant compromises with their cultural heritage.

Another recurring theme among these stories and essays is the feeling of being lost and disconnected in a crowd. Anuja Ghimire’s ‘Mail and More’ centres on Niva, a Nepali student working in an American convenience store, encapsulating the despair of struggling through student life. Ghimire’s story, though subdued and weary, highlights the unsettling reality that the glitz and glamour of the American dream may remain just that—a dream—for students caught in the relentless cycle of work and study, barely eking out an existence. Similarly, Khem K Aryal’s ‘Laxman Sir in America’ and Chaitali Sen’s ‘The Immigrant’ also explore this pervasive sense of displacement, prompting reflection on how long one can endure in a place that may never fully embrace them, and when such desolation might dissipate.

Other stories, such as Ali Eteraz’s ‘Encased’ and Jenny Bhatt’s ‘The Weight of His Bones’, offer bleak portrayals of tragic family dynamics shaped by their surroundings. On the other hand, narratives like Jaya Wagle’s ‘Fresh Off the Plane’, Rukmini Kalamangalam’s ‘Slow Fruiting’, and Shikha Malaviya’s ‘What I Learned There: Transcendence through Blues, and Two Books’ offer glimpses of hope and acceptance, suggesting that happiness may be on the horizon for those navigating life in the US.

South to South: Writing South Asia in the American South

Editor: Khem K Aryal

Year: 2023

Publisher: Texas Review Press