Appropriately Bangladeshi? Invisible labour and class distinction in the construction of British Bangladeshi identity

This article examines the way Bangladeshi identity is constructed relationally amongst British Bangladeshi Muslims by studying their diasporic self-organization on the basis of ‘Sylheti’ and ‘non-Sylheti’ identity. By centring A) region, B) language and C) religion that emerge from in-depth interviews as key constituents of British Bangladeshi identity, this paper follows from works on class distinction and ‘appropriate’ identity to demonstrate aspirations and competitions for respectability amongst British Bangladeshi Muslims, such as through disparate access of Sylhetis and non-Sylhetis to cultural capital via education. By conceiving this identity negotiation as invisible labour, rather than assuming antagonism, this article demonstrates how British Bangladeshi communities negotiate their own and others’ regional, linguistic and religious identities and practices to put forth an identity perceived relationally as authentically and appropriately ‘Bangladeshi’. Through this, the article illustrates the dual labour and agency of British Bangladeshi Muslims.