The diaspora community occupies a space that is not only ambiguous but also a liminal space between the one they left behind and the one they live in, which Bhabha (1990) called the ‘third space.’ Foucault (1986) would identify this as an in-between space, a form of ‘other spaces’ belonging to neither utopias nor heterotopias 1—spaces that provide a mixed ex-perience, such as a mirror. It is not a utopia, as you can touch the mirror; therefore, it is real. However, the
space is not quite real either, as when you look at your reflection in the mir-ror, you see yourself where you do not exist. It has elements of both real and unreal at the same time; therefore, it is a mixed experience.
This ambiguous mental space also relates to what Freud called memory residues (2010), as it appeals to mem-ory whenever it gets an opportunity. Sometimes it’s a smell, or just the aura of a place, at other times it’s an uncan-
ny resemblance of a familiar view or sound that triggers the memory resi-due to resurface and they are immedi-ately transferred over to another space and time. The transfer is immediate and it feels very real. It transcends ex-isting space-time to elevate them into that third space—a space of confusion and ambiguity.
How do borders manifest in the psyche of the diaspora? How do they affect their agency? Do they
Abu Haque
At the Crossroads
February 21, 2025
Year 1 Issue 1
Brantford, ON
Photos by Author
HYPHEN