Migrant communities question their identity: should they assimilate into the host culture or maintain their own cultural practices? Most of them reach a compromise, a balance in which they adopt a public face that blends into the majority culture while preserving their country's distinctive religious and cultural traditions. Mississippi Masala, by Mira Nair, is a film that explores interracial romance between African Americans and Native Americans in the United States. The film also addresses themes of hybrid diaspora and feeling unrest when searching for one's identity. This article will attempt to understand the representation of different identities in the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The film begins with the expulsion of Asians from Africa, which is under the rule of Idi Amin. Jay, one of the film's main characters, considers Uganda his home, insisting to his childhood friend Okelo that he has always been Ugandan first and Indian second. The latter remarks by saying that “Africa now belongs to Africans, to black Africans”. This remark hurts Jay deeply and he refuses to communicate further with the man he considered his brother. This shows the first example of conflicting identities. Many others are observable in Mina, Dmitrius and in their respective communities. Although Jay maintains that Uganda is his home and his identity as an Indian comes later, he raises his daughter according to the standards set by Indian society. Judging by the language she uses and her dress, as shown in the flashbacks shown in the film, Mina was raised according to Indian traditions. She calls her uncles and aunts chacha and mausi, she wears a traditional Indian dress for her birthday. Like any other Indian father, Jay pressures Mina to go to college and get a proper education; like any other Indian mother, her mother Kinu is worried about her marriage. Mina identifies as Indian. She tells Dmitrius about the people who frequent the motel where she lives and works. She says, “They look at us and say, ‘Not another damn Indian! This makes me so angry. Despite a father who always put his culture second, Mina considers herself a true Indian even though she has never been to India. She feels included in the morning prayers performed according to Indian tradition and customs by her uncle. Although she was born in Africa and spent most of her life in Africa and Europe, she associates herself with a country she has never been to; it calls itself a “mixed masala”, invariably contextualizing itself in relation to Indian culture. Dmitrius, on the other hand, is an African-American who has never been to Africa. Although he accepts his heritage and culture, he is furious at the racism shown towards his people and against himself. He tells Mina: “Racism, or as we say today, tradition, is passed down like recipes. The thing is, you need to know what to eat and what to leave on your plate. » Apathy is powerfully represented in the film; a small Indian community finds itself in a rather ordinary town in Mississippi. Here they appear uprooted, somehow alienated from their context. They work. They survive. Yet they seem adrift in the world. Having already taken root, they may be afraid to do so again. For some members of this community, India is very far from the family past. They never went there. However, when asked the question, they.