29.2670, Review: Applied Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: Wagner (2017)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-29-2670. Tue Jun 26 2018. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 29.2670, Review: Applied Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: Wagner (2017)

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Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2018 09:28:40
From: Marina Ivanovic [mrn.ivanovic at gmail.com]
Subject: Becoming Diasporically Moroccan

 
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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/28/28-3447.html

AUTHOR: Lauren  Wagner
TITLE: Becoming Diasporically Moroccan
SUBTITLE: Linguistic and Embodied Practices for Negotiating Belonging
SERIES TITLE: Encounters
PUBLISHER: Multilingual Matters
YEAR: 2017

REVIEWER: Marina Ivanovic, University of Novi Sad

Becoming Diasporically Moroccan: Linguistic and Embodied Practices for
Negotiating Belonging

SUMMARY

Lauren Wagner’s book ‘Becoming Diasporically Moroccan’ shows an authentic
perspective on the lives of the next generation of Moroccan migrants living in
France, Belgium or The Netherlands and their struggle in ‘becoming Moroccan’
again upon visiting their homeland for the summer holidays. The book
masterfully explores the issues of identity, body, language and crossing
borders of the Moroccan diaspora. This ethnography discusses strategies of
language and body the homeland visitors are using to regain their
‘Moroccaness’ while spending time in the public spaces, marketplaces and
nightclubs.

The Introduction addresses common problems migrants are facing upon leaving
their homeland. Wagner addresses the common feeling of lack of belonging –
feeling of constant betweenness, belonging to both places and not belonging
with either one. She gives a few linguistic examples of the words signaling a
notion of ‘neither from here nor from there’ while taking the boat with
migrants back to Morocco for the summer. At this point, two key points are
introduced that will continuously be addressed throughout the book: 1. Coming
back to the homeland evokes the memories of the diasporic home creating
conflicting feelings; 2. The migrants are recognized by their skin as Arabs;
however, their accent and actions are no longer local, what separates them
from the local Moroccans. 

Chapter 1 “Pathways and Backgrounds” gives an overview of the historical
connections between Europe and Morocco with relation to present-day migrants.
Wagner introduces three countries of interest: France, Belgium and The
Netherlands, accounting for Moroccan migrants with similar migration
histories. Following, the author explains the process of Moroccans moving and
assimilating in a foreign country (France, Belgium or The Netherlands) and
explores the differences in the sense of belonging with respect to their
homeland Morocco. Despite visiting Morocco every year or every few years,
these migrants feel ‘foreign’ in their homeland. This ‘foreignness’ is mostly
characterized by their linguistic abilities, their embodiment, as well as
their perceived wealthier status as European migrants. The author presents the
act of bargaining as a mean of not only establishing the verbal abilities in
the local language ‘derija’ but also as a game of economic power. Extensive
analysis of the importance of bargaining in determining one’s ‘Moroccanness’
are given in Chapter 4. 

In Chapter 2 “Integrating Theory and Method”, Wagner presents and discusses
the theoretical background and the methodology of the book. The author
explains and challenges various theories related to migration and identity:
‘dimensions of identification’ (Erikson, 2004), the feeling of attachment and
belonging to two different places (Kalra et al., 2005), longing for the
homeland and desire to return back (Cohen, 1997) and others. Wagner focuses on
investigating an assembled group of elements (language, history, body,
clothing etc.) merged together from different categories. These elements are
believed to have a strong impact on the interactions among the local and the
migrant Moroccans. The author analyzes the migrants’ ‘diasporic’ behavior
through 2 dimensions: ‘descent’ and ‘place’ – ‘descent’ referring to the
migrants’ origins and lineage and ‘place’ to “a sense of geographical
location”. These two dimensions represent key factors in interlocutors’
interpretation of belonging. Following, Wagner goes on to investigate how both
more or less overtly expressed elements form part of language practices in
categorization. Wagner outlines her approach as taking participants’ metaphors
seriously by looking at “how the attitudes, stories, opinions and practices of
the participants in this research shape categories of diasporic belonging of
migration and diaspora” (p. 30). Wagner challenges former ‘hybridity’
theories, instead assuming ‘multiplicity’ – encouraging a more complex notion
of self as a multiple entity. This approach also takes into consideration both
verbal and non-verbal language as well as becoming-bodies in shaping ‘doing
being a Moroccan’. 

Chapter 3 “Defining the Category ‘Moroccan’ Embodied Misrecognitions and
Dynamics of Passing” introduces and explains the notion of ‘strangeness’
diasporic visitors (DVs) are feeling upon visiting Morocco. The stories and
interviews of DVs reveal that regardless of how well-assimilated the returning
migrants seem to non-Moroccans, the locals never fail to recognize that these
DVs are not from Morocco. Wagner presents many factors which may give away
someone’s lack of ‘localness’. For some, it’s not being fluent in the native
dialect ‘derija’; for others, not dressing properly or having lighter skin.
This recognition of DVs by the locals is often followed by a form of
distancing: participants have reported often being talked to in French,
despite their speaking ‘derija’ and initiating the communication in their
native language. Others have experienced boosted prices in the local
bargaining markets that the local vendors save only for the tourists. Wagner
goes back to using her dimensional division of diasporic behavior – ‘descend’
and ‘place’ – from the previous chapter – by analyzing the source of DVs
feeling of ‘strangeness’. She explains that the locals’ acceptance of
‘descend’ – the roots and origin of DVs – but denial of ‘place’  – their place
of living – makes the DVs not local enough in the eyes of the Moroccan
residents. This lack of relating to DVs makes their efforts of full
assimilation in their former community and culture hard and often futile.

The following chapter “Bargaining for ‘Moroccanness’: Categorial Work on the
Market” is entirely dedicated to the act of bargaining as an old cultural
phenomenon extremely popular within the Moroccan bazaars. The author provides
numerous interview-stories about bargaining in the local markets and different
outcomes depending on: the strategies used, different vendors, language
skills, price matching etc. What all these interactions have in common is the
importance of ‘place’. The DVs frequently made references to their new
homeland with the vendors, comparing the prices they were given at the bazaar
to the ones back in their other home. This strategy of attempting to lower the
price by suggesting the item can be found cheaper abroad in many cases proved
to be offensive to the vendor, distancing the DVs even further from the
locals. Bargaining is explained as a game of negotiation, fun and establishing
a connection between the vendor and the buyer. It is done in the local dialect
‘derija’, followed by certain language markers the DVs haven’t been able to
master abroad. Passing as Moroccan in this type of a cultural  event is one of
the most demanding assimilation challenges. 

Chapter 5 “A New Category? Becoming ‘Diasporically Moroccan’” shifts the focus
from DVs trying to pass as Moroccans to those who are not struggling to fully
assimilate and hide their diasporic present. The DVs in this chapter are fully
embracing their “foreignness” striving only to be themselves, even if that
means being ‘diasporically-Moroccan’. Wagner gives one such example of wearing
the Moroccan general style of clothing ‘gondorra’. What is originally meant to
be worn on top of indoor clothes, the DVs – both men and women –  have turned
into beach clothes covering only their bikini. Using traditional clothes in a
non-traditional way, DVs show that they are comfortable with their status of
diasporic Moroccans. Wagner also introduces the term of a ‘proxy’ or ‘proxy
body’ to account for situations when DVs who are insecure about their language
skills bring local companions to bazaars to get a better price. Through
various conversations at local bazaars, it can be observed how the local
vendors react differently to other locals even when they have DVs by their
side. This chapter aims to reveal that the question of being Moroccan enough
is relevant in only certain situations, as well as how the feeling of not
being Moroccan enough can dissolve in the  presence of a proxy. 

EVALUATION

As someone with an interest in both identity and migration, I was really
looking forward to getting Lauren Wagner’s book. Working with migrant
refugees, I’ve had the experience of hearing about many of the issues Wagner
has addressed and analyzed in this book. Reading about an approach to identity
as a layered multiple notion, instead of a hybrid entity, has been much
appreciated, and I hope that the future research will give even more
much-needed attention to this neglected side of migrants’ self. I was happy to
find examples of migrants discussing culture within their families, and I
would have loved it if there was more focus on the cultural gap between the
first and second generation of migrants and the effect it may have had on the
outcome of the second generations’ adaptability and assimilation. 

All in all, this ethnography of the summer holidays offers a unique insight
into the lives of migrants struggling to find a place to belong to. By
presenting the interviews as spontaneous as they are, Wagner manages
masterfully to translate the complex issues of identity triggered upon
diasporic Moroccans meeting the local ones. Presenting the struggle of the
diaspora to one more time assimilate with the local community and blend in at
any cost, Wagner not only reminds us about the importance of identity but also
of the urge to belong and have a place to call home.

REFERENCES

Wagner, L. (2017). “Becoming Diasporically Moroccan: Linguistic and Embodied
Practices for Negotiating Belonging.” Bristol: Multilingual Matters.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Marina Ivanovic is a PHD candidate at the Faculty of Social Well-Being,
University of Malta. She received her MA in English Philology, from the
Department of English, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Her major research
interests are language and identity, migration and queer studies.





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