The term `multiculturalism' refers to the presence of a wide and distinguishable variety of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity within the demography of a nation-state, as it is recognized today. While multiculturalism is also seen as an offshoot of the pragmatic movement of the 19<sup>th</sup> century and cultural pluralism of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, in the literary context, it is seen more as an attempt by indigenous as well as expatriate ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups to find their own voice, to express themselves in one mode or other, and to come to terms with their own place in the larger scheme of things. In other words, multiculturalism in literature could be seen as a fitting reply to the school of thought that reflects Karl Marx's words, uttered though in a different context: "They cannot represent themselves, they must be represented" (The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Chapter VII). Represent certainly `they' can, and do it far better than others. Undoubtedly, the writings of an African-American or an Amerindian about his/her own experiences, for instance, sound more convincing than what an outsider thinks he/she may be experiencing.

Multiculturalism has other uses as well. If all the cultures of the world represent pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, then each culture is essential to solve that puzzle called life. If man's quest is to understand himself and his life better, then representations and representative voices from each culture serve to complement and complete the totality of human experience. In the melting pot which the globalized world has become, homogeneity is fast being replaced by multiculturalism, which fetes diversity and thus promotes distinction. Hector St. John Crevecoeur may have concluded "What attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where he had nothing? The knowledge of the language, the love of a few kindred as poor as himself were the only cords that tied him" (Letters from an American Farmer), but in the modern melting pot what has stuck with each group, wherever it is, is its cultural identity—in relation to itself as well as others within the nation. The country of which an ethnic group is a part may give that group their "land, bread, protection, and consequence," but ethnic groups cannot obviously live by bread alone. They need to be heard, recognized and appreciated for what they are. And often in the resultant interplay of cultures, issues that are common to all cultures— such as human rights and equality for women—draw their strength and sustenance, reinforcing each other reciprocally. Incidentally, four of the five articles in this issue touch upon topics related to multiculturalism.

In the first article, "`Delightful Cousins' and `Scandalous Prayer': Multiculturalism and Ecofeminism in Alice Walker's By the Light of My Father's Smile," the author, Kishori Nayak K, takes a close look at the multicultural aspects of Alice Walker's novel that traces the experiences of Robinson's family, which goes from the United States to Mexico. The author, while focusing on the richness of the multicultural interface among the characters hailing from such varied cultures as the Christianized African-American, the mixed-race of Blacks and Indians called the Mundos as well as the East European Greek culture of Kalimasa, underscores how the novel also celebrates the womanist and ecofeminist aspects, as the characters explore the various shades of female sexuality and human spirit.

In the second article, "Internationalizing Gatsby and the American Dream," the author, Somdatta Mandal, discusses the evergreen topic of American Dream-gone-sour, as depicted in Fitzgerald's rags-to-riches Gatsby myth that presents the rise and fall of Jay Gatsby. Though Gatsby's attempts to gain acceptance into the affluent but uncaring and decadent American society of the 1920s and his tragic end presaged the onset of the American disillusionment with the American Dream, the novel has spawned a whole body of literature featuring Gatsby-like characters and themes. The author traces the indelible imprint of Gatsby, the novel as well as the protagonist, on writers of different cross-cultural settings such as British writers Ali Smith and Hanif Kureishi, Chinese Wu Ningkun, Iranian Azar Nafisi, and Puerto-Rican American Ernesto Quinonez.

In the third article, "Multiethnic Literature for the Beginners, with an Introduction to Native American Studies and Its Pioneer, N Scott Momaday," the author, K Subapriya, gives a brief introduction to the various facets of multiethnic literature, with particular reference to Native American literature. The author is of the opinion that the works of N Scott Momaday are representative of the essence of Native American literature and hence studying Momaday's works would serve as a crash course to those who are interested in studying Native American literature.

In the fourth article, "An Introduction to Chicanism," the author, M Maria Felci Rajathi, traces the history of the Chicanas, with particular reference to the Chicana feminist movement, which seeks to address issues such as male dominance and emancipation of Chicana women. As Chicana women try to free themselves from the shackles imposed by male chauvinism, the complexity of their experiences and their attempts to reinvent themselves often find new means of self-expression, including lesbianism.

In the fifth article, "American Studies in India: Retrospect and Prospect," the author, E Nageswara Rao, provides a detailed sketch of the origin and progress of the American Studies in India. Though American Studies has come a long way since the 1940s and 1950s when it was available to Indian students only through lectures by visiting American professors and workshops and seminars on American topics funded by organizations like USEFI, USIS, and Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, the changed global order and altered ground realities have relegated the subject to sidelines. Hence, the author calls for the formulation of a new approach to American Studies that includes re-contextualization, internationalization, and environmental approach.

-- R Venkatesan Iyenger
consulting Editor