Zunyu Qu

Zunyu Qu

August 31, 2025

Cultural hybridity, National identity, Diasporic identity, Postcolonial literature.

Using Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake”, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Americanah”, and the worldwide re-contextualisation of hip-hop, this article interrogates how international migration and cultural hybridity reshape the core ideas of national identity. It first defines migration, hybridity, and identity, contending that rigid adn homogeneous frameworks cannot capture the contradictions generated by cross-cultural mobility. Close readings of each novel’s protagonists, combined with South Korea, France, and UK’s hip-hop history, this article reveal identities as fluid, multi-layered negotiations. Migratory experiences shaping attachments to “home” and “other”, while forcing global and local cultural elements into continuous remix. Recognising national identity as dynamic and inclusive, the paper argues, is vital for nowadays globalisation. It also highlights the ethical stakes of representation and belonging in an age of intensified mobility for many.

© 2025, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license