Diaspora aesthetics: Music performance and practices of belonging among the South Asians in Hong Kong

This article uses the concept of diaspora aesthetics to examine how South Asians use traditional culture, such as music, to negotiate belonging during their integration process in Hong Kong. Music is an embodied aesthetic practice through which diaspora materialises, shaping identity and belonging in ethnic minorities. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic observations of South Asians in Hong Kong, this article explores how expressions of South Asian-ness become embodied in people who participate in music performance at socio-cultural and religious events. While the South Asians have long been experiencing marginalisation in Hong Kong, the discussion of diaspora aesthetics demonstrates how music performance can concurrently demonstrate hybrid forms of belonging, intercultural dialogue, and a sense of integration.