Challenging the Centre: The Response of British Asian Writers

Abstract

This article aims to outline the response of the British Asian community to the post-colonial situation of the former metropolitan centre. A selection of recent work by writers such as Salman Rushdie, Farrukh Dhondy and David Dabydeen, among others, is analyzed from a dual perspective. On one hand, these writers reflect how Asians and blacks in general have to cope with the racial prejudice of the host population. On the other hand, they defy the accepted notion of Britishness and redefine it to include non-white, non-Christian citizens. The paper will conclude by affirming that British Asian writers are offering the white British a valuable lesson about their own post-colonial identity.