“I don’t have a community”

Fatima Bapumia

Abstract


Abstract Ethnic fabric of the Tanzanian society is a product of several internal and external factors; migration and colonialism being two of the most impactful milestones. Providing for a significant transnational movement of people and cultures; migration and colonialism have played a key role in shaping the inter-ethnic relations in Tanzania. This paper addresses how present day youth reiterate historically rooted expressions of ethnicity; dynamics of boundary drawings; and processes of negotiating ethnic differences. By focusing on the South Asian communities in Tanzania, I argue that, community centres provide a basis for reinstating ethnic boundaries between African and non-African youth in Tanzania.

Keywords: Ethnicity, Boundaries, South-Asian Community, Pluralism

Fatima Bapumia, Lecturer, University of Dar es Salaam; Email: scentsandspices@gmail.com


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