Back to my own country

"Back to My Own Country" An essay by Andrea Levy

Article Discourse Analysis

Patrícia Ariana Stan

a79564

Línguas Literaturas e Culturas

1. Andrea's Life

• Migration from Jamaica to the UK with her parents.
• Faced economic struggles and social rejection despite her parents' efforts to assimilate.
• Experienced isolation and internalized shame about her identity.
• Attempted to integrate into white British society but still encountered racism.
• A social experiment forced her to confront her racial identity.
• Realized she shared the same struggles as other Black people, leading to a deeper understanding of racism and identity.

"The racism I encountered was rarely violent, or extreme, but it was insidious and ever present and it had a profound effect on me. I hated myself. I was ashamed of my family, and embarrassed that they came from the Caribbean."

Key Concepts

The UK as a Cultural Hub: Britain’s colonial past shaped its diverse society, but historical narratives of former colonies are often overlooked ("British amnesia").

The world comes to you, it's an unexpected gift to Britain from its old empire. - Andrea Levy

Key Concepts

British Jamaicans: Jamaica was a British colony (1655–1962); migration increased post-WWII, with many facing racism and integration challenges. Empire Windrush: The 1948 ship that brought Caribbean migrants to rebuild Britain; the "Windrush Generation" faced discrimination despite their contributions. Multiculturalism: The coexistence of different cultures; viewed as either enriching or a threat to the dominant culture. Segregation: Separation based on race, class, or religion, which can be both explicit and subtle, as seen in Levy’s experiences

Key Concepts

Cultural Salad Bowl

People coexist but retain some of their unique cultural characteristics, as different ingridients in a salad. "A metaphor for the way a multicultural society can integrate different cultures while maintaining their separate identities" - The Evolution of New York City's Multiculturalism: Melting Pot or Salad Bowl. 2009

Cultural melting pot

Different cultural groups will abandon their individual cultures and assimilate into the predominant society or create a new culture. "A place where many different people and ideas exist together, often mixing and producing something new" - Cambridge Dictionary

Article Discourse Analysis

Article Discourse Analysis

Vocabulary

Grammar

• Personal and emotional language reflecting Levy’s identity struggles.
• Key terms: Empire Windrush, integration, segregation, privilege, isolationism, discrimination, melting pot, salad bowl, multiculturalism.
• Possible ambiguity due to emotional involvement, seen in expressive vocabulary.

• Narrative and reflective style, shifting between past and present.
• Use of direct quotes, rhetorical questions, and contrasts (e.g., “too white to be black and too black to be white”).

Article Discourse Analysis

Discourse Practice / Context

Production

• Written by British-Jamaican author Andrea Levy to share personal experiences with race and identity.
• Challenges dominant historical narratives, contributing to post-colonial and multicultural discussions.
• Neutral on immigration—focuses on immigrant experiences with integration.

Distribution

• Published in literary and academic contexts.
• Referenced in cultural studies, migration, and identity discussions.

Consumption

• Audience: students, academics, and immigrants who relate to Levy’s experience.
• Interpretation varies: some see it as a critique of Britain, others as a story of self-acceptance.

Article Discourse Analysis

Power Dynamics

Relevancy

• Issues of racism, integration, and identity remain significant in the UK and Europe.
• Migration has increased, continuing debates on assimilation and discrimination.
• Many immigrants still struggle with identity, but multiculturalism is more widely accepted.
• More immigrant communities openly embrace their heritage rather than suppress it.

• Questions power by exposing racism and forced assimilation in Britain.
• Criticizes British amnesia—the tendency to overlook the colonial past.
• Highlights internalized white superiority and Levy’s journey to embracing her identity.