Exile And Return Among The East Timorese (Contemporary Ethnography),Used

Book Description Drawing on innovative ethnographic research, Exile and Return Among the East Timorese explores questions of shifting identity and home, trauma and embodiment, belonging and return among the East Timorese abroad at this critical juncture in their lives. Product Description East Timor, the world's newest nation, finally gained its independence in 2002, following half a millennium of Portuguese rule and 24 years of Indonesian occupation. That occupation produced a refugee diaspora spread between Portugal and Australia that has been integral in advancing East Timor's cause abroad. Because East Timorese in the diaspora identified strongly as exiles and invested so much in pursuing East Timor's independence, the homeland's liberation has complicated the very basis on which many have 'imagined' themselves since fleeing to Australia.Wise interrogates the space after exile for members of the East Timorese diaspora in Australia, in dialogue with key debates on diasporic identities within cultural studies, contemporary anthropology, and cultural geography. Drawing on innovative ethnographic research, explores questions of shifting identity and home, trauma and embodiment, belonging and return among the East Timorese abroad at this critical juncture in their lives. The book asks what forms of cultural identity emerge among politically active refugee diasporas, what happens to such groups when the dream of homeland is fulfilled, and how they renegotiate a sense of home after exile.The lived experience of Timorese in Australia and former refugees who have returned to East Timor is brought to life through their eloquent and often moving firsthand narratives, which the author has used liberally throughout the book, vividly presenting them alongside images and analysis of their role in the political struggle.Providing unique insights into cultural identities in the transition from exile to diaspora in a postrefugee group, is essential reading for anyone interested in questions of home and identity among diasporic, transnational, and refugee communities. About the Author Amanda Wise is Research Fellow at the Centre for Research on Social Inclusion at Macquarie University in Australia. Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction'We can't hang Xanana there!'On the Politics of Representing CommunityIt is often said that East Timor's President Xanana Gusmo, former guerrilla fighter and national hero, is the Nelson Mandela of Southeast Asia. A romantic, saintlike figure, he became an icon for East Timor's cause, appearing on posters and Tshirts in his beret, reminiscent of the famous image of Ch Guevara. Every solidarity supporter had his picture on their wall, and East Timorese children graffiti his likeness together with messages of resistance. Described as 'poet, resistance fighter and peace maker,' Xanana has become a hero for our times. What a surprise, then, to find myself in a local museum in Sydney's western suburbs, mediating a dispute between museum management and members of the East Timorese community, the latter demanding Xanana's image be moved to a less prominent location.In 2001 I was asked to curate an exhibition in partnership with two East Timorese artists and a group of East Timorese youth. The exhibition, 'Leaving the Crocodile,' was held at the Liverpool Regional Museum to celebrate the history of the East Timorese community in Sydney and to reflect on their present situation following the 1999 referendum that led to East Timor's independence. I worked with them for more than a year to collect items for the exhibition. The youth group also took charge of a video camera for twelve months, during which time they persuaded friends, family, and community members, in living rooms and at East Timorese community events, to be interviewed on a range of issues having to do with living in Australia and their thoughts about the future. After much thought and