Exploring identities : the Maltese migrant in New York City in a post-9/11 world

Abstract

September 11, 2001 is a day that no one can ever forget. It was a day of horror and grief. It was a day when USA' s proudest cities and their landmarks fell victim to a series of concerted ten-or attacks. Malta, having thousands of its people residing in New York City, watched in horror and prayed. In this dissertation, I collected the experiences of twelve Maltese migrants residing in Manhattan and in other areas of the city. My aim is to see whether what happened on September 11, 2001 marked a turning point in the life of Maltese migrants in New York City and whether the 9/11 attacks left a mark on my informants' identity. After discussing the concepts of identity, nationhood, diaspora and migration and focusing on such aspects as the post-modern subject, the dislocation of the modern subject and the effects of globalization, I analyse my informants' feedback and arrive at conclusions that I was not totally aware of. This underlines the strength of the methodology selected.