Struggle of immigrant writers in America and establishment of their identity as a writer.
American literature is the literature which refers to the writings that is written or produced by people of America. These days American writing has reached the apex of creation because of their native and migrant writers. To understand the American literature in the context of migrant Writers we must take into consideration their history of migration, their struggle for their identity in American writing. Their way of writing, theme and ideology; and establishment of the writing in the literary relms of America.
What constitute contemporary American immigrant literature to elucidate this question we need to start by considering the Global immigration in later 20th century as well as American immigration policy. During the 1840 to 1880 number of immigrants were 5 million who mostly came from UK Ireland Germany etc. Because of famine and social upheaval. The first quarter of the 20th century it reached 2 17 million . 1920 migration ended to control the flow of immigrance. In 1965 hart cellar immigration act abolished the National Kota system.
Though not born in American soil but Still became US citizen, some were pushed by political forces some came for job opportunity but each brought a new thread to American tapestry. Struggle with the issue of migration reform, they played a significant role in American literature and culture.
American literature has been reached The Apex of creation in the realms of literature. There are a number of Writers who achieved the Nobel Prize for their works. sinclair lewis is the first writer who achieved the Nobel Prize in 1930 this is the first time in American history. After that many writers like Toni Morrison , Ernest Hemingway and many more who achieved a Nobel Prize and established a distinguished identity in the world creation of literature.
History of American literature was not much older. John Smith was considered the first writer of American literary history. It doesn't mean that American people were not involved in Literature but there literature was mostly in oral form. Their poetry story myths where mostly in oral form that's why that were not preserved. After the 1600 they started to write in English when they are colonized by European country. More over they started to write about social and political condition of their country. When the migrated peoples started to live there but they are still attached with their country.
When some immigrant writers started to write they mostly wrote about their love with their motherland , their culture, their community. and memoir. Khaled hosaini who was from Afghanistan and after the Russian invasion in 1983 he became the US citizen. His book kite runner in 2003 was achieved a great uplore and became the best New York seller throughout the year. In which he depicted his journey of life from Afghanistan to America and his struggle in in Afghan.
Women also played very monumental role in contemporary migrant voices. South Asian women also started to write about their culture and individuality. They are mostly writing about their own life. Sara suleri in her book the "Meatless Days" in 1983 .bhapsi sidhwa is another writer who wrote for her parsi community.
Immigrant writers mostly consist the theme of diaspora, anxiety, freedom, self independency, a sense of despair, individual Desire, etc.
Immigrant writers also played very significant role in the contemporary American literature. They mostly wrote about their anxiety of dispora and culture. They expressed their struggle for identity with their distinct culture.
