Abstract Using life story interviews with 10 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees resettled in Australia, this article shows how family separation in experiences of civil war and resettlement produce long-lasting and emotional memories of fear and determination. The findings explore how young Tamil people gave meaning to family when they interacted with key individuals and negotiated cultural practices in different spaces. Moreover, intergenerational family narratives emerged as a key practice through which Tamils preserved the family identity. The analysis demonstrates how and when family separation can manifest in personal memories to reveal stories of agency and resilience. A critical engagement of the past can help to better understand concepts of childhood in relation to family and family separation in war affected diaspora communities.

中文翻译：

---

1983 年至 2000 年在澳大利亚重新安置的斯里兰卡泰米尔人家庭分离的记忆

摘要 本文通过对 10 名在澳大利亚重新安置的斯里兰卡泰米尔难民的生活故事访谈，展示了在内战和重新安置经历中的家庭分离如何产生恐惧和决心的持久和情感记忆。调查结果探讨了年轻的泰米尔人在与关键人物互动并在不同空间协商文化习俗时如何赋予家庭意义。此外，代际家庭叙事成为泰米尔人保留家庭身份的关键实践。该分析展示了家庭分离如何以及何时出现在个人记忆中，以揭示代理和韧性的故事。对过去的批判性参与有助于更好地理解与受战争影响的侨民社区中家庭和家庭分离有关的童年概念。