From the Nation-State to the Transnational World: On the Meaning and Usefulness of Diaspora as a Concept
Author(s):
Schnapper, Dominique
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Diaspora, Volume 8, Issue 3 (1999-01). pp. 225-254.
Language:
English
Abstract:
The term diaspora, once restricted to the catastrophic removal of a unified people from a sacred place of origin, now has a broader context & may refer to any geographically dispersed people. The article traces the evolution of the diaspora concept in the modern era, in which numerous dispersed peoples exist as minorities within democratic nation-states. Diasporic populations become acculturated to some extent, while maintaining their own cultural traditions & a sense of mythic unity. More recently, globalization & the weakening of sovereign states have given the diaspora a more positive connotation. Examples discussed include the diasporic Chinese, Indian, Greek, Hmong, Jewish, Armenian, Italian, Japanese, & Irish communities & their relationships with their adopted homelands. The author proposes that a true diaspora, regardless of its origin, requires institutionalized exchanges between settlements, stable relations with the host society, & an aspiration to unity. 44 References. J. R. Callahan