A Patchwork Shawl: Chronicles of South Asian Women in America

by Shamita Das Dasgupta (Editor)

A Patchwork Shawl sheds light on the lives of a segment of the U.S. immigrant population that has long been relegated to the margins. It focuses on women's lives that span different Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and the United States. This collection of essays by and about South Asian women in America challenges stereotypes by allowing women to speak in their own words. Together they provide discerning insights into the reconstruction of immigrant patriarchy in a new world, and the development of women's resistance to that reconstruction. Shamita Das DasGupta's introduction also acquaints readers with the psychological topography of the South Asian community. A Patchwork Shawl considers topics from re-negotiation of identity to sexuality, violence to intimacy, occupations to organizing within the community. The essays bear witness to women's negotiations for independent identities, their claim to their own bodies, and the right to choose relationships based on their own histories and truths. They bring new understanding to the intersection of gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, and class.

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

Reviews

[Mohinee S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays on South Asian women and their experiences in America. My mentor for Senior Project recommended it to me, because it relates a lot to my topic. I found it really insightful to read from multiple women's point of views. Most talked about having a hard time coming from a conservative, Indian culture to America. It would have been even more helpful if I had read this last semester to use for my research essay.