The making of the Sri Lankan Tamil cultural identity in Sydney

Abstract

This study endeavours to explore the diasporic processes of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney, their cultural life, their migration patterns, their long-distance nationalism and their audiovisual media consumption. In doing so it presents a social profile of the Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney while exploring the communities' demographical and topographical features. The ethnic unrest in Sri Lanka and the changing immigration policies in Australia were the major factors influencing migration of the Sri Lankan Tamils to Australia. This study delves into the various aspects of everyday Tamil life, like Tamil periodicals, associations, films and schools. It is an attempt to understand the individual, cross-cultural and communal dynamics of the way these cultural institutions are used by Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney to maintain and negotiate their cultural identity in Australia.

Date of Award	2001
Original language	English