Celebrating Independence Day abroad a moving experience
In New York City, the celebrations began early. On August 5, almost 10 days before Pakistan’s Independence Day, there was a parade and a concert. Pakistanis, and there are so many of them living abroad these days, gathered to enjoy some good food, some songs by Atif Aslam and to celebrate the homeland that they miss so much. It was not the only celebration; in another, held by the Pakistani American Law Enforcement Association, New York City police officers of Pakistani origin along with their counterparts from the force raised both American and Pakistani flags. Closer to Independence Day, other celebrations were held all over the city, state and across the US. The jubilation of those who attended was a testament to the fact that, no matter how far Pakistanis migrate, they never forget where they are from.
It is also true that such celebrations, whether they are held in New York or London or Copenhagen, have a bit of longing, a flavor of the bittersweet. No day reminds an immigrant of the quandaries and sacrifices more than the day the native land was born. Celebrating the birthday of the home one left behind brings back memories of all the things that were familiar and that are now so far away. Often at such events, the older members of the Pakistani immigrant communities share their memories. This makes the moment even more poignant. The original Pakistanis, the ones who migrated from India, are still alive and some have had to endure successive migrations. They, like everyone else, never forget and some hope to return one day soon, so that they may die in the place that they love so much.
Migration these days inevitably involves living a partially virtual life. Social media platforms enable this, as the migrant can chat, message and tweet and take in what friends and family members are doing far away. They can see and speak to everyone at home: The mother who misses them so much, the father who worries about their safety, the friends who made up the fabric of their everyday lives. When a celebration for Pakistan comes around, there is an opportunity to step out of that partially virtual life and to meet others who also miss Pakistan —the monsoon, the food, the air, the trees, everything. Such are the moments that migration bestows.
While many diaspora communities celebrate the independence days of their native countries, the situation of Pakistanis is different, even special. Unlike other nations, migration is built into the country’s DNA. Even the commemoration of August 14, 1947, actually remembers a migration — the largest in modern history. Then there is the fact that Pakistan is one of the biggest labor exporters in the world. In the unskilled sector, thousands of Pakistanis work in the Middle East on construction projects, on oil rigs, laying down cables and raising up skyscrapers. In the highly skilled sector, thousands of Pakistani engineers, doctors and computer scientists work in the world’s top hospitals and corporations. The money that all of these Pakistanis living abroad send back adds up to billions of dollars in remittances, which is the country’s major source of foreign exchange. It is not just the households of these individual migrants that are run on the labor of a Pakistani working in a foreign land; it is actually the country itself. This symbiotic relationship creates a very strong bond for those who have left but still care deeply for the country.
While many diaspora communities celebrate the independence days of their native countries, the situation of Pakistanis is different, even special. Unlike other nations, migration is built into the country’s DNA.
Rafia Zakaria
This 71st birthday, although not a “big” milestone, was important for another reason. Less than a month earlier, Pakistanis (including those living abroad) cast their votes in a democratic election. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won the highest number of seats: The first time for the party led by Imran Khan. For the passionate supporters of the party, and there are many of them in Pakistani diasporas around the world, this birthday had added significance. They saw hope for change and progress in the future; they saw in the results of the election the possibility of a new chapter.
Pakistan does need a new chapter. The past 70 years have seen the country struggle with governance, and even today the ordinary Pakistani does not have access to basic services, water, sanitation or lodging. The country’s democratic institutions have, despite the challenges they have faced, managed to endure. Now it is time to go further than mere existence, into thriving and rising.
Pakistanis who live abroad know this. Watching the country suffer through coups and wars and innumerable terror attacks is not a pleasant thing. In the words of one Pakistani, watching those at home suffer is like sitting next to a dying patient in a hospital. One hopes they will make it, but they cannot help them make it, only pray and hope. There were a lot of prayers and hope for Pakistan in all of the Independence Day celebrations that were held around the world. Hopes and prayers sent from afar are still potent, can still do good, and can still play a part in a national transformation.
At one celebration in New York, a young woman who had recently migrated from Pakistan began to cry as the crowd recited the Pakistani national anthem. The words are familiar, they fall off the tongue of every Pakistani, wherever they may be. For the migrant, the experience of saying them aloud, with others, is a rare one; it tugs at the heart and unfailingly brings a tear to the eye.
• Rafia Zakaria is the author of “The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan” (Beacon 2015) and “Veil” (Bloomsbury 2017). She writes regularly for The Guardian, Boston Review, The New Republic, The New York Times Book Review, and many other publications. Twitter: @rafiazakaria
