The Iconic Tartan Laundry Bag: A Symbol of Migration and Displacement
The humble tartan laundry bag, often instantly recognizable by its blue, red, and white (or black red and white) checkered pattern, has transcended its original utilitarian function to become an unlikely symbol of migration, displacement, and resilience. Known by different names around the world a “Ghana Must Go” in West Africa, “Chinatown tote” in parts of North America, and “refugee bag” in Europe, this cheap, durable bag has silently accompanied millions on their journeys through uncertain transitions, often bearing the weight of entire lives packed into a single piece of plastic and thread.
In West Africa, the name “Ghana Must Go” is perhaps the most telling of the bag’s historical and political significance. The term emerged in the 1980s, during a wave of xenophobic backlash in Nigeria, when over a million Ghanaians were forcibly expelled amid economic tensions. Many fleeing Ghanaians carried their belongings in these tartan bags, which soon became shorthand for the experience of sudden exile and the indignity of being rendered stateless. What was once an object of utility became imbued with the trauma of displacement and the politics of forced migration.
Beyond West Africa, the bag has taken on similar meanings across global diasporas. In refugee camps, train stations, and border crossings from Asia to Eastern Europe, the tartan bag has been a silent witness to the global crisis of displacement. Its mass production, low cost, and large capacity make it a go-to item for people forced to move quickly and unpredictably. As such, it has become a global icon of impermanence and survival, simultaneously ubiquitous and overlooked.
However, the tartan bag’s symbolism isn’t solely tragic. It also represents adaptability and endurance. Migrants have carried these bags across continents and then continued to use them in their new homes, often as storage or travel companions. Artists and designers have begun reimagining the bag in high fashion and gallery exhibitions, challenging audiences to consider the aesthetic and political meanings embedded in the object. This reclamation turns the bag into a conversation starter, inviting a deeper understanding of the stories it holds.
Ultimately, the classic tartan laundry bag is more than a piece of plastic; it is a vessel of memory and movement. It represents the resilience of those who carry it - people in transition, often moving not by choice but necessity. As borders harden and conversations around migration grow more polarized, the tartan bag endures as a humble, poignant reminder of humanity’s shared and ongoing journey in search of safety, opportunity, and belonging.
