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and support the critique of the end, or failure, of
multiculturalism, if read in depth, through the portrayal
of the diversity of subcultures, the nuances of South Asian
diasporic identity, and the rudeboys’ use of hybrid
language in the ethnic enclave, Malkani’s novel challenges
the supposed “failure” of “multiculturalism” as a policy
based simply on ethnicity identity politics. More
importantly, the novel redefines multiculturalism and
points out that, in contemporary London and Britain,
even in an ethnic enclave, it is evidently a common,
everyday practice for people to identify and interact with
others across the borders of ethnicity, culture, and
nationality.
Key Words:
Londonstani
, authenticity, identity, South
Asian ethnic enclaves, multiculturalism