The Impact Of French Colonialism On Moroccan Identity

Stuart Hall defines identity as an ‘already accomplished fact, which the new cultural practices then represent’. We should think instead of ‘identity as a ‘production’ which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation’ (Hall 1994 p.392). An individual’s sense of belonging to a particular group, thinking, feelings and behaviour can also be referred to as identity. One’s cultural image can construct identity; such features as hair, skin tone and height. History shapes our identity.

Palestinian identity has lasted the test of time through exile, diaspora, and attempts at cultural white-washing. It is through these situations that Palestine has created a unique sense of identity, unlike many nation-states. The Palestinian identity has come to transcend borders, nationality, and mediums. It is not only represented in politics and protest, but in personal expression and the arts. This paper argues that both national identity and cultural productions of Palestine represent the diaspora through noticeable adaptation based on location and support the idea that Palestinian identity isn't singularly definable.

At night they sway and wander in the waters far under,But morning rolls them in the foam.

This quote is attached the theme of cultural identity, a term that pertains to the “feeling of belonging to a group.” It is part of a person's

Watching a video of a dance piece called “The Moroccan Project,” choreographed by Alonzo King was quite impressive. Living in San Francisco and taking dance classes brought me to Lines Ballet which is King’s dance studio. I have seen a great deal of different types of dance at the studio waiting for my Ballet classes and there are some great dancers. It comes as no surprise that Alonzo would have such great dancers. It appears that Alonzo King is exploring different cultures in dance in Contemporary Ballet. His near-perfect choreography is articulate, passionate, and graceful- he brings diversity in dance to San Francisco and other parts of the world. This piece articulates the expression of the two dancers coming together yet dancing apart at times- it is a fusion of several different types of dances into one using video editing to create a story about the coming together of two individuals.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s autobiography Yassmin’s Story demonstrates the themes of having an identity and having to live up to certain standards. Growing up in a difficult time of racial war due to the recent events of the September 11 attacks,

Throughout Middle Eastern, beginning in the 1800’s many changes and continuities have occurred and shaped what there national identity is in present day. Religion and literature have remained a continuous factor throughout this time period; where as a very successful oil discovery and currently changing government help shape the Middle Eastern national identity

No diasporic community manifests all of these characteristics or shares with the same intensity an identity with its scattered ancestral kin. In many respects, diasporas are not actual but imaginary and symbolic communities and political constructs; it is we who often call them into being.” (Palmer)

Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity and Diaspora focuses on the current issues of identity, cultural practices and cultural representations. He analyses the visual representations of Afro-Caribbean’s and challenges the notions of identity from African and European places. Hall then goes on to explain how Caribbean cinema has chosen to both, refute and embrace European influence. He presents two different forms of thinking about cultural identity. In the first position, Hall defines ‘cultural identity’ in terms of one, shared culture, which people with a shared history and ancestry hold in common. The first model uses “stable, unchanging and continuous frames of reference and meanings’ to present the idea of shared culture, history, and ancestry rooted beneath ‘more superficial imposed ‘selves’” (Hall, 223).

Conflicts in these countries stem from a complex nature of historico-political legacies of past leaders. While some scholars blame conflicts in Africa to be the consequence of colonialism, I believe it is more complex than that. The continual preservation of the system that does not balance the power differences, however produced group formation along the lines of applicable social identities, as it relates to their experiences. (Volkan, 1997) Bloodline, a metaphor for the process of identity formation draws its strength from the author’s ability to draw a link between social identity formation and blood-related issues. Citing the Middle East, Isreal, and Palestine, his psychoanalytic methods helps in understanding dimensions of social identity formation as one beyond the Freudian understanding of the dynamics of group psychology. (Moghaddam, 2006) equally situates social identity formation as the best explanation for Islamic terrorism.

With the passage at hand, Dr. Ella Shohat discusses about the case of being an Arab Jew, a historical paradox, as one of many social elisions. Unlike the idea of intersectionality, binarism leaves “little place for complex identities” (Shohat, 2). As an American, Jew, and Arab, she speaks of the disparities amidst a war involving all three cultural topographies. Albeit she speaks from a subjective standpoint, she does not mention the issue of racial hygiene, class, geographic divisions, and gender. Passages from Guenter Lewy, Melissa Wright, and Philippe Bourgois will be used to discuss the way in which different positionalities might affect the analysis of “Dislocated Identities.”

In Amin Maalouf’s book “In the Name of Identity” Maalouf emphasizes that we should not judge people on one singular identity. He argues that, “Identity can’t be compartmentalized. You can’t divide it up into halves or thirds or any other separate segments. I haven’t got several identities: I’ve got just one, made up of many components in mixture that is unique to me, just as other people’s identity is unique to them as individuals.” The essence of Maalouf’s argument is that one should not define another based solely on a singular component of their identity but rather their identity as a whole.

In simple terms, the Diaspora as a concept, describes groups of people who currently live or reside outside the original homelands. We will approach the Diaspora from the lenses of migration; that the migration of people through out of the African continent has different points of origin, different patterns and results in different identity formations. Yet, all of these patterns of dispersion and germination/ assimilation represent formations of the Diaspora. My paper will focus on the complexities of the question of whether or not Africans in the Diaspora should return to Africa. This will be focused through the lenses of the different phases in the Diaspora.

Morocco a country that in itself has a rich history that dates back to prehistoric times. An odd land where you can sit in 80 degree temps and have palm trees surrounding you and look up to the mountains tops covered in snow. Where so many have wondered in to discover a part of Africa rich in abundance of unique culture and heritage. Where poets and story tellers have left with a story to tell of a great land to which they have traveled. American Paul Bowles wrote many books set in Morocco, arguably the best being The Spiders House, which is set in Fez. There were many famous authors from Morocco itself which gave the outside world an insight to the country. Some famous Moroccans authors include Leila Abouzeid, Barbara Parmenter who wrote the famous book, Year of the Elephant: A Moroccan Woman's Journey Toward Independence. Challenging the way people treated woman and thoughts of woman. Even though this book was fictional it encouraged a forward movement for the rights of Moroccan woman, all by using the power of pen. It caught the attention and eye of many westerners which lead to a revolution of woman’s rights. First published in 1983, was the first novel written by a Moroccan to sell out worldwide. Is it the beautiful Berber city of Ouarzazate, which seems to be a favorite with Hollywood producers, thanks to its terracotta Kasbah’s and outlandish scenic surrounds? What is it that makes this country so special and captivating? Is it the people, a melting pot

Algeria is a North African Mediterranean Country, dominantly populated by Sunni Muslims. Multiple Arabic and Berber dialects are spoken throughout the land. The majority of North African countries have defined cultural identifies, however Algeria lacks a firm cultural foundation and has become somewhat of a piecemeal (Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, 2011).