Description
Book SynopsisFocusing on ten examples of contemporary Diasporas from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, this book describes and illustrates the problems confronting immigrant communities as they attempt to protect their inherited culture, while coping with the demands and the opportunities they encounter in their adopted country.
Trade Review"A significant attempt to comprehensively gauge the shape and dynamics of the world's diaspora communities, which is no small task for a relatively short book. Yet Esman's deep knowledge and overview of the research literature makes him uniquely placed to undertake such a venture ... Esman manages to demonstrate not only why diasporas are so important in modern societies, but also how every single society on earth is today affected by migration in one way or another ... an interesting and informative read."
Runnymeade's Quarterly Bulletin "Milton Esman's highly original and insightful new book focuses on a hitherto underanalyzed type of ethnic conflict that is of crucial and growing importance in the 21st century. It is both a superb example of comparative analysis and a rich source of persuasive policy recommendations."
Arend Lijphart, University of California, San Diego
"Using examples from four continents, Milton Esman documents the major variations determining whether diasporas adjust to their host societies, continue to evince a predominant loyalty to their homelands or evolve a hybrid set of attachments. By his analytical clarity and pointed illustrations, the author has made a noteworthy contribution to diaspora studies."
Robin Cohen, University of Oxford
"A wide ranging and insightful analysis of the distinctive trajectories that diasporic groups experience. Esman deftly illuminates the challenges posed by large-scale movements of people and charts the potential pathways for incorporating migrant communities into their new host societies."
Margaret Weir, University of California, Berkeley
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1
Chapter 1 What are diasporas, why do they matter? 3
Chapter 2 Definition and classes of diasporas 13
Chapter 3 Contemporary case studies 22
3a. North Africans in France 22
3b. Overseas Chinese: Malaysian, Thai, Japanese 35
3c. Zionists in Palestine 48
3d. Ukrainians in Canada 60
3e. The “Russian” diaspora in Israel 69
3f. Afro-Brazilians, 1531–2008 76
3g. Palestinians in Kuwait 84
3h. Mexicans in the United States 88
Chapter 4 Problems and processes of adaptation 100
Chapter 5 Diasporas and international relations 120
Chapter 6 Diasporas and ethnic conflict 133
Chapter 7 Diasporas and public policy 149
Chapter 8 Prospects and outcomes 167
Notes 184
Bibliography 199
Index 207
