Diasporic Memory and the Politics of Preservation

Abstract

In the aftermath of forced migration, diasporic identity is not erased but transformed by the dynamic interactions between memory, space, and political agency. This paper examines how forced migration reshapes collective memory in displaced communities and explores strategies for sustaining cultural identity beyond the homeland. Challenging traditional views of diasporas as static sites of nostalgia and victimhood, the study draws on interdisciplinary research to analyze how diasporic memory is preserved and reconfigured through oral traditions, symbolic spaces, political mobilization, and digital archives. Case studies include intergenerational storytelling among Palestinian families, spatial reconstruction by Tibetan refugees, postmemory activism in the Armenian diaspora, and digital self-archiving practices among migrants. These examples reveal how displaced communities blend exilic memory with adaptive, diasporic frameworks to maintain identity while navigating host societies. The paper also interrogates structural barriers to preservation and argues that host governments must shift from assimilationist or repatriation-focused approaches toward policies that support grassroots memory work. Institutional measures such as funding, legal protections, and curricular inclusion are proposed as essential supports for long-term cultural resilience.