Lived Refuge
Gratitude, Resentment, Resilience
1st Edition
Published on 14. November 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
184 pages
978-0-520-39726-2 (ISBN)
Description
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In a world increasingly shaped by displacement and migration, refuge is both a coveted right and an elusive promise for millions. While conventionally understood as legal protection, it also transcends judicial definitions. In Lived Refuge, Vinh Nguyen reconceptualizes refuge as an ongoing affective experience and lived relation rather than a fixed category with legitimacy derived from the state.
Focusing on Southeast Asian diasporas in the wake of the Vietnam War, Nguyen examines three affective experiences-gratitude, resentment, and resilience-to reveal the actively lived dimensions of refuge. Through multifaceted analyses of literary and cultural productions, Nguyen argues that the meaning of refuge emerges from how displaced people negotiate the kinds of safety and protection that are offered to (and withheld from) them. In so doing, he lays the framework for an original and compelling understanding of contemporary refugee subjectivity.
In a world increasingly shaped by displacement and migration, refuge is both a coveted right and an elusive promise for millions. While conventionally understood as legal protection, it also transcends judicial definitions. In Lived Refuge, Vinh Nguyen reconceptualizes refuge as an ongoing affective experience and lived relation rather than a fixed category with legitimacy derived from the state.
Focusing on Southeast Asian diasporas in the wake of the Vietnam War, Nguyen examines three affective experiences-gratitude, resentment, and resilience-to reveal the actively lived dimensions of refuge. Through multifaceted analyses of literary and cultural productions, Nguyen argues that the meaning of refuge emerges from how displaced people negotiate the kinds of safety and protection that are offered to (and withheld from) them. In so doing, he lays the framework for an original and compelling understanding of contemporary refugee subjectivity.
Reviews / Votes
"Nguyen time and again writes in unusually beautiful prose, with rich imagery and delicate intricacy more commonly found in works of art than in academic monographs. . . .This monograph requires careful and sometimes repeated readings to grasp. Nevertheless, for those who are interested in a deep and deeply insightful understanding of refugees' lived experiences-especially of Southeast Asian refugees as conveyed in their writings and other creative expressions-this book will be well worth the investment of time and contemplation." * International Migration Review * "A welcome contribution to the field, Nguyen explores refugee experiences not to make claims about the state but to better apprehend the contours of lives lived in refuge." * American Literary History * "Poetically written with a reflective incorporation of philosophy, history, and literature. Its strength lies in the ability to push the taken-for-granted boundaries of a concept." * Journal of Refugee Studies * "Lived Refuge makes significant contributions to various fields, including critical refugee studies, Southeast Asian studies, literary studies, and cultural studies ... It is an essential read for everyone who wants to understand the complexities of existence in the aftermath of war, genocide, and loss." * Canadian Literature *More details
Series
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-39726-2 (9780520397262)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2023
1st Edition
Naval Institute Press
€12.49
Available for download
Person
Vinh Nguyen is Associate Professor of English at Renison University College, University of Waterloo. He is coeditor of The Routledge Handbook of Refugee Narratives and Refugee States: Critical Refugee Studies in Canada.