Migrant communities question identity: should they assimilate into the host culture or maintain their own cultural practices? In most cases they arrive at a compromise, a balance in which they adopt a public face that blends with the culture of the majority while preserving distinctive religious and cultural traditions in their homeland. Mississippi Masala, by Mira Nair, is a film that explores the interracial romance between African Americans and American Indians in the United States. The film also addresses the themes of hybrid diaspora and the feeling of restlessness while searching for one's identity. This article will attempt to understand the portrayal of different identities in the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The film begins with the expulsion of Asians from Africa, which is under the rule of Idi Amin. Jay, one of the film's main characters, considers Uganda his home, insisting to his childhood friend Okelo that he has always been Ugandan first and Indian second. The latter remarks that “Africa is now for Africans, black Africans”. This remark hurts Jay deeply and he refuses to communicate further with the man he considered his brother. This shows the first example of conflicting identities. Many others are observable in Mina, Dmitrius and their respective communities. Although Jay claims that Uganda is his home and that his identity as an Indian comes second, he raises his daughter according to the norms established by Indian society. Judging by the language she uses and her clothing shown in the flashbacks shown in the film, Mina was raised according to Indian traditions. He calls his uncles chacha and mausi, wears a traditional Indian dress on his birthday. Like every other Indian father, Jay pressures Mina to go to college and get a proper education; like every other Indian mother, her mother Kinu is worried about her marriage. Mina identifies as Indian. He tells Dmitrius about the people who go to the motel where he lives and works. He says, “They look at us and say, 'Not another damn Indian!' It makes me so angry. Despite having a father who always put her culture on the back burner, Mina considers herself a true Indian even though she has never been to India. She feels included in the morning prayers performed according to Indian tradition and customs by her uncle. Although she was born in Africa and has spent much of her life in Africa and Europe, she associates herself with a country she has never been to; it defines itself as a "mixed masala", invariably contextualizing itself to Indian culture. Dmitrius, on the other hand, is an African American who has never been to Africa. Although he accepts his heritage and culture, he is furious at the racism shown towards his people and himself. He tells Mina: “Racism, or, as they say today, tradition, is passed down like recipes. The trick is that you have to know what to eat and what to leave on your plate." Apathy is powerfully portrayed in the film; a small Indian community ends up in a rather anonymous town in Mississippi. Here they appear rootless, somehow alienated from their context. They work. They survive. Yet they seem adrift in the world. Having already put down roots before, perhaps they are afraid to do so again. For some members of this community, India is a far cry from their families' past. They have never been there. However, when asked, they still call themselves Indians. The Indian community is represented here as a mix. As seen in Anil's wedding, the women are dressed in Indian clothes while some men wore their traditional Indian clothes and others wore Western clothes. Anil's father, Jammu Bhai, a very man.