Placing Africa in Asia: Identity, Memory, and Community in India and China

Join us for a special capstone presentation featuring two UNC Area Studies Center MSI Fellows whose innovative research expands our understanding of the African diaspora. This facilitated panel moves beyond traditional Atlantic frameworks to explore the deep-rooted histories and vibrant contemporary lives of African-descendant communities in Asia. How do individuals and communities forge a sense of identity, belonging, and connection to an African homeland while navigating the complex cultural landscapes of India and China? This conversation brings two distinct scholarly approaches to bear on this vital question. 

Dr. Jazmin Eyssallenne (Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies MSI Fellow) will discuss her ethnographic research on the Sidi Sufi tradition in Gujarat, India. In her talk, “The Sidi Sufi Tradition and the African Diaspora in India,” she reveals how the devotional song-dances, veneration of African saints, and preservation of East African cultural elements create a powerful and living link to the past. Dr. Eyssallenne demonstrates how this religious tradition serves as a crucial site for maintaining an African diasporic consciousness and bridging historical and contemporary waves of migration. 

Our second panelist, Dr. Rose Sackeyfio (Carolina Asia Center MSI Fellow) will present on “Mapping Geographies of Difference in Africa-China Encounters: Shifting Boundaries of Identity.” This presentation turns to the world of literature to explore transnational identity and place-making in the African experience of China. Through an analysis of novels from Ghanaian, Kenyan, and Zambian authors, Dr. Sackeyfio’s research uncovers the “African literary imaginaries of China,” examining how narratives of migration and assimilation in a non-Western space expand the discourse on diaspora and identity from the 15th century to the present day. 

Together, these presentations offer a compelling dialogue on the study of Africans in Asia. They connect the lived, embodied rituals of a centuries-old community in India with the imagined, narrated experiences of modern migrants in China. The panel will explore the resonances between these projects, highlighting shared themes of historical memory, cultural preservation, and the constant negotiation of identity in diaspora. 

This event will be held at the University Room in Hyde Hall. Refreshments will be served.