The theme of language as a vital aspect of identity is prevalent within Shailja Patel’s “Dreaming in Gujarati”. Patel, from a Kenyan-Gujarati background, outlines how her languages, as well as those of her father, interacted with her perception of herself and how she had been observed by others. Patel recalls the evolving relationship she has with Gujarati, with non-Gujarati-speaking individuals mocking her for speaking it while relatives ridiculed her lack of fluency. As such, she was confronted by the conflict between both her American and Gujarati identities.
She turns to English to find other forms of identity, and she can identify with terms that are non-existent in Gujarati, including ‘self-expression’, ‘individual’, and ‘lesbian’. However, English was not the solution for acceptance of her identity either, as she recounts ways in which she was insulted for her identity and non-white appearance. Halfway through the poem, Patel illustrates the languages her father speaks, which include Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Swahili with Arabic influence, and Gujarati. The languages are unique and formulated with rich vocabularies, rhythm, and, most importantly, phonology. Despite this, her father is derided by English speakers, for what Patel suggests is an inferior manner of speech and banal word choice and pronunciation.
Language as identity is the central theme of the poem. Patel can reject and return to it as her understanding of it becomes more prevalent in her daily life, both in interpersonal exploration or experience with the world. This theme is especially prevalent in multicultural settings, in which conflict due to language is frequent, and solutions are often unreached. The essay will attempt to explore how language is stifled in settings that attempt to implement monolingualism.
References
Reich, Leana. Striking a Balance: Identity, Language, and Belonging in the Gujarati-American Immigrant Community. 2019. Ph.D. dissertation. Penn Libraries.
Muturi, Sarah M. Minority Language Maintenance in a Multilingual Setting: the Case of Gujarati in Nairobi, Kenya. 2019. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Nairobi Research Archive.
Coulmas, Florian. The Handbook of Sociolinguistics. Blackwell Publishing, 2017.