Immigration Quote by Salman Rushdie
““Also – for there had been more than a few migrants aboard, yes, quite a quantity of wives who had been grilled by reasonable, doing-their-job officials about the length of and distinguishing moles upon their husbands’ genitalia, a sufficiency of children upon whose legitimacy the British Government had cast its ever-reasonable doubts – mingling with the remnants of the plane, equally fragmented, equally absurd, there floated the debris of the soul, broken memories, sloughed-off selves, severed mother-tongues, violated privacies, untranslatable jokes, extinguished futures, lost loves, the forgotten meaning of hollow, booming words, land, belonging, home.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie, 1981
A chaotic tableau of displaced people highlights how migration shatters identity, language, and personal histories, leaving behind fragmented selves and uncertain futures.
In simple terms: Migration fragments identity and belonging.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and honor the hidden stories of migrants.
Themes
migration
identity
displacement
memory
belonging
Mood
melancholic
reflective
somber
Type
narrative
critical
poetic
When to use this quote
- refugee resettlement
- immigration policy debates
- community integration programs
- personal storytelling workshops
Key Concepts
postcolonialism
fragmentation
cultural loss
psychological trauma
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we preserve cultural identity amidst displacement?
- What responsibilities do host societies have to restore belonging?
A Different Perspective
The description may overgeneralize migrant experiences, ignoring resilience and agency.
