“We’re more than our own trauma”: the identity formation processes of the Afghan diaspora in Canada

This article explores how diasporic Afghans in Canada form their identities and construct identity in relation to their homeland, Afghanistan. Methodologically, I adopt a desire-based approach that centers Afghan self-representation and self-determination, moving beyond damage-centered narratives that focus primarily on trauma. Drawing on 40 semi-structured interviews with Afghan Canadians, I illustrate how diasporic Afghans navigate and (re)construct their Afghan identity, as well as the tools they use to develop understandings of the homeland. I argue that diasporic Afghans continuously (re)negotiate their diasporic identities to create multiple definitions of “home”, influenced by their interlocking religious, ethnic, and hybrid cultural identities. The findings highlight the heterogeneity and internal complexity of identity formation processes among diasporic Afghans, challenging homogeneous and monolithic categorizations of “Afghan”. Conceptually, this article suggests that notions of the watan (homeland) are a transnational and fluid phenomenon, constructed through the geopolitical lens of Afghanistan and the Canadian host society.