NEITHER HERE NOR THERE: HYBRIDITY, CULTURAL ALIENATION, AND RETURN MIGRATION IN RUTANGYE CRYSTAL BUTUNGI'S “LEGAL ALIEN”

Abstract

The political instability that engulfed Uganda during the regime of Idi Amin (1971–1979) triggered one of the largest waves of migration in the country's history. Thousands of Ugandans fled the nation in search of safety and economic security, settling in countries such as Australia, the United States, and Britain. Although the fall of Amin's regime encouraged many families to return, reintegration into the homeland proved far more complicated than anticipated, particularly for children who had spent their formative years abroad. These returnees often found themselves trapped between two worlds, belonging fully to neither. Rutangye Crystal Butungi's short story “Legal Alien” explores this dilemma through the experiences of an unnamed young girl who returns to Uganda after spending her childhood in Australia. Through the lens of postcolonial theories of hybridity, diaspora, and cultural belonging, the story demonstrates that citizenship alone cannot guarantee acceptance within a national community. Instead, identity emerges as a contested and negotiated process shaped by language, culture, memory, and social recognition.