Chinese Calcuttawallah : articulating a diaspora ethnic identity in India / Kunaljeet Roy and Sukla Basu.

Author/creator Roy, Kunaljeet author.
Other author Basu, Sukla, author.
Format Book
PublicationEdinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2026]
Copyright Date©2026
Descriptionxix, 257 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm.
Subjects

SeriesEdinburgh studies on diasporas and transnationalism
Edinburgh studies on diasporas and transnationalism. ^A1462870
Abstract "By examining the everyday geographies of ethnic identity, place-making and cultural landscape transformations, as well as tracing the root of the Chinese community’s origin through cartographic and archival records, this book depicts multi-cultural landscape formation in Kolkata (Calcutta). The authors capture how Kolkata’s vibrant Chinese community has uniquely shaped the 'twin Chinatowns' amidst the city’s diverse urban tapestry and gradually modified the adjacent cultural landscape towards a 'little China'. As these neighbourhoods encounter modern challenges of gentrification and global connectivity, the book explores the ways in which the community, particularly its youth, navigates the complexities of maintaining a transnational identity while being deeply rooted in the local cultural milieu. From the continuous ebb and flow of migration to the fostering of hybrid identities, this analysis examines how these transformations impact community cohesion and cultural heritage. Featuring poignant individual case studies from Indian-Chinese respondents, the book examines issues such as identity, preservation efforts and the effects of socio-economic changes. Research techniques like adopting visual ethnographic 'streetscape' and cognitive 'emotional' cartography depict the everyday geography of the 'twin Chinatowns', illustrating how these communities claim their spaces and build connections on a global scale. Kunaljeet Roy and Sukla Basu reconnect with the essence of Kolkata’s Chinese community and showcase how they navigate the challenges of a globalised world while holding onto the threads of heritage that define them as a 'Chinese Calcuttawallah'."-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 227-243) and index.
Issued in other formOnline version: Roy, Kunaljeet. Chinese Calcuttawallah. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2026] 9781399532525
ISBN9781399532495
ISBN1399532499 (hardback)
ISBN(webready PDF)
ISBN(webready PDF)
ISBN(epub)
ISBN(epub)

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