ABSTRACT
Based on interviews with 60 British Bangladeshis in London and with their relatives in Sylhet, Bangladesh, this chapter explores memories of the homeland and the experiences of visits. It compares the ‘memoryscapes’ of first-generation older migrants, long-settled in London, with those of their British-born adult children, and also compares the different experiences of men and women. The first generation reconstructs fond memories of their early lives in rural Sylhet, but nowadays they face difficult issues with property maintenance and inheritance, having been abroad for so long. The second generation generally react warmly to the homeland visits that they make, which enable them to enjoy extended-family hospitality, connect with their heritage and engage in tourism beyond their ancestral villages. However, some women and girls experience constraints on their behaviour during visits, due to the prevailing gender norms in the homeland.
