The Kurdish Diaspora in Canada: A Study of Political Activism and The Uses of The Kurdish Language Esengul Tasdemir Thesis submitted to the University of Ottawa in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ottawa Ó Esengul Tasdemir, Ottawa, Canada, 2019 Abstract This thesis focuses on the Kurdish people of Turkey, who have struggled and advocated for a separate nation-state of their own. The Turkish state’s denial of Kurdish identity, and its heavy assimilation and oppression of the Kurdish people have turned some Kurds into political activists, both in Turkey and in the diaspora. In addition, the historical ban and current stigmatization of the Kurdish language have crystallized the importance and centrality of the language, particularly for both Kurdish identity and the Kurdish movement. This thesis explores the forms of political activism in Canada of the Kurds originating in Turkey, and the role of the Kurdish language in their activism. Using a qualitative research design, interviews with activists and participant observations were conducted in the cities of Toronto and Montréal. The findings draw attention to the significance of community centres as umbrella institutions for political activism, and as sites for the enactment of different forms of collective resistance. The study also illustrates that the role of the Kurdish language in activism is more salient at a representational level. That is, the Kurdish language is represented as the main identity marker fuelling activism, implying that speaking Kurdish is an act of resistance and thus political. In daily life, however, the usage of the Kurdish is far more attenuated and nuanced. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLES AND FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................. V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................................. VI CHAPTER 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 LOCATING THE RESEARCHER ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS ........................................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2 ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF KURDS (FROM TURKEY) ............................................................. 7 2.1 ORIGINS .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 POPULATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 LANGUAGE ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 THE OTTOMAN KURDS .................................................................................................................................... 10 2.5 KURDS AFTER WORLD WAR I ......................................................................................................................... 11 2.6 PARTIYA KARKEREN KURDISTAN (KURDISTAN WORKERS’ PARTY, PKK) .................................................. 14 2.7 CURRENT SITUATION ....................................................................................................................................... 16 2.8 KURDISH DIASPORA ......................................................................................................................................... 18 2.9 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 3 ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 22 3.1 LANGUAGE ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.1 The Kurdish Language ............................................................................................................................ 23 3.1.2 Education and Kurdish Language .......................................................................................................... 27 3.2 NATIONALISM .................................................................................................................................................. 29 3.2.1 Kurdish Nationalism ................................................................................................................................ 30 3.2.2 Language and Nationalism ..................................................................................................................... 32 3.2.3 Kurdish Language and Nationalism ....................................................................................................... 34 3.3 POLITICAL ACTIVISM ...................................................................................................................................... 35 3.10 DIASPORA ....................................................................................................................................................... 37 3.10.1 The Kurdish Diaspora ............................................................................................................................ 38 3.10.2 Political Activism and Diaspora ............................................................................................................ 43 3.11 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................................... 46 3.12. RESEARCH QUESTION ................................................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 4 ..................................................................................................................................................... 49 FRAMEWORKS .............................................................................................................................................. 49 4.1 CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES ............................................................................................................................ 49 4.2.1 Research Locations .................................................................................................................................. 61 4.2.2 Methodological Approaches .................................................................................................................... 63 4.2.3 Data Collection ......................................................................................................................................... 64 4.2.4 Data Analysis Approach .......................................................................................................................... 66 4.2.5 Assumptions and ClariFications ............................................................................................................... 67 CHAPTER 5 ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 FINDINGS ........................................................................................................................................................ 68 5.1 BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF THE PARTICIPANTS .................................................................................................. 68 iii 5.2 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 87 5.2.1 Demonstrations ........................................................................................................................................ 87 5.2.2 Newroz ...................................................................................................................................................... 89 5.3 INTERVIEWS ..................................................................................................................................................... 90 5.3.1 Diaspora ................................................................................................................................................... 90 5.3.2 Being Kurdish .........................................................................................................................................