Imagining ethnicity : the role of the Montreal Bangladeshi press in ethnic cohesion

This dissertation explores the relationship between uses of the Bangladeshi immigrant press in Montreal and the reinforcement of its readers' ethnic identity. The work is based on information gathered from two Bangladeshi newspapers published in Montreal---Probashbangla and Banglabarta . The study views ethnic identity as being perceived, enacted, and maintained symbolically through communication activities of ethnic group members. The Bangladeshi immigrant press is considered to be a major vehicle for its readers' perception of ethnic identity, and as a strong stimulus for its reinforcement. It is suggested that the nature and extent of use of the Bangladeshi immigrant press serves as indices of its readers' ethnic maintenance. The theoretical focus of this study is derived from the notion of 'imagined communities', which suggests that people without direct face-to-face contact, through the sharing of symbols, may imagine themselves to be a community. This study argues that through the mediation and promotion of ethnic symbols, the Bangladeshi immigrant press provides its otherwise unconnected readers with a means to imagine their affiliation with the Bangladeshi ethnic community. Frequent exposure to the immigrant press works to reaffirm that identity