ABSTRACT

Arab heritage writers in Argentina begin to examine the question of cultural identity more explicitly by reflecting on the lives of their immigrant relatives and tracing family histories back to their ancestor’s homelands. Taking up the thematic concerns of first-generation emigrants, these contemporary writers of the Mahŷar (place of exile and immigrant life) portray Arab ethnicity and culture in diverse historical contexts and geographical spaces. Seemingly lost and relegated to memory, immigrant homelands are recuperated and reclaimed by these authors. Here I will examine the recovery of the homeland and the recording of family histories in relation to diaspora studies, with special attention given to less-studied genres in the Argentine mahŷar: Spanish-language short stories. My hope is that this chapter promotes further research in the areas of the literary mahŷar and diaspora studies in the Americas.