The Birth and "Death" of a Siby: Life of a Hadrami Immigrant in Kuwait.
In the mainstream literature about migration in the Gulf region, the experience of individual immigrants and their community's relationship with a destination has been overshadowed by a focus on the broad economic and demographic factors of migration. This article complements the existing literature...
| Publicado en: | Journal of Anthropological Research Vol. 75; no. 2; pp. 183 - 206 |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
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University of Chicago Press
Summer2019
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| Sumario: | In the mainstream literature about migration in the Gulf region, the experience of individual immigrants and their community's relationship with a destination has been overshadowed by a focus on the broad economic and demographic factors of migration. This article complements the existing literature by examining a Hadrami's interpretation of his own migratory experience and his community as a whole. The life history of a retiring Hadrami siby (male servant) emphasized unusual forms of relationships with Kuwaitis that endure even after the immigrants retire and return home. Such forms distinguish Hadramis from other immigrants in Kuwait. It is argued that prolonged attachment to Kuwaiti families created a peculiar Hadrami culture of migration. A characteristic of this culture is total dependency on Kuwait as a source of income and security through "acts of relief" and a support system, with retired immigrants continually struggling to retain these acts of relief from their Kuwaiti sponsors. |
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