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Article In: Translation in Society: Online-First Articles

Emplotting the self

Migrant self-translation in digital transnational spaces

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 | University of Ottawa
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Abstract
This article explores the conceptual intersections between translation and migration, proposing a framework that redefines migration as a multi-staged process of (social) self-translation. Drawing on philosophical hermeneutics — specifically the works of Paul Ricœur and Hans-Georg Gadamer — the article examines how migrants navigate the tensions between sameness (idem) and selfhood (ipse) through the construction of narrative identity. It further investigates how digital platforms serve as transnational social spaces where these narratives are emplotted, shared, and contested. By analyzing the dual nature of migrant self-translation — as both an internal process of meaning-making and a public act of cultural representation — the article argues that these practices facilitate “social translation,” a transformative engagement with the host society that challenges reifying labels and reconfigures intergroup relations. Ultimately, this article demonstrates that self-translation is a durational, agentive mechanism through which migrants reclaim authorship over their identities and participate in the co-constitution of the public sphere.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Redefining translation in a migration context
    • 2.1Conceptual intersections
  • 3.From self-translation to social and citizen translation
  • 4.Digital platforms as transnational social spaces
  • 5.The dual nature of migrant self-translation
    • 5.1Self-translation as digital narrative identity work
    • 5.2Self-translation as public novel cultural self-representation
    • 5.3Digital (social) self-translation: Reconfiguring intergroup relations
      • 5.3.1Hassan Akkad: Reconfiguration of the “refugee” label
      • 5.3.2Subhi Albiddawy: Re-narration of the “perpetual foreigner”
    • 5.4Self-translation as a durational practice
  • 6.The bidirectional path of self-translation
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
References (95)
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