Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities - Essay Example

DISPERSAL AND REGROUPING OF MIGRANT COMMUNITIES It is in search of a better life thatpeople all over the world migrate from one place to another. The concept of migration is nothing new- it has been happening for as long as history can remember. However, post-World War II and especially after the Cold War, migration has assumed new proportions. Migration issues are now on top of the agenda for the international community as migrants pour into one country from another for a variety of reasons. This paper, on " Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities" seeks to explain why migration takes place, what are the trends of migration, and how, after migration, diasporas form. Diasporas are nothing but groups that migrants form on the basis of a shared homeland, culture, etc. Forming a diaspora is a way in which migrant communities regroup in a foreign country after getting dispersed in their homeland. Some of these diasporas are political, and have a huge role to play in the domestic politics of both the homeland and the host state as well as in international politics and foreign affairs of states; but again, some of these diasporas are apolitical, and their influence is limited only to culture- of both the host state and the homeland. This paper also discusses the political and cultural impacts of diasporas. For the purpose of writing this paper, a variety of sources have been used- books as well as the internet. It is hoped that the paper is conclusive in itself and satisfactorily explains everything that is important in the context of the dispersal and regrouping of migrant communities. Introduction. Yann Martel, the Canadian author, says something in his Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi that is relevant here: " Why do people move What makes them uproot and leave everything they've known for a great unknown beyond the horizon Why climb this Mount Everest of formalities that makes you feel like a beggar Why enter this jungle of foreignness where everything is new, strange and difficult The answer is the same the world over: people move in the hope of a better life." ( 2001: 77) Yes, it is perhaps in search of a better life that people all over the world move. Changes in a country's political and economic situation can lead people to move from that country to another- all in search of a better life. Affluent countries in Europe and America are prime destinations for migrants from Third-World countries, evidently because they promise a better life. "Resurgent ethnic, religious and nationalist forces have emerged from the often violent disintegration of nation-states and their reconstitution. These new forces and other new features, like the revolution in global communications, have combined with prior social, economic and political pressures to generate new patterns of migration in the post-Cold War era. As a result, from being a relatively peripheral concern until recently, migration has since the late 1980s moved swiftly up the international agenda to become an issue of heated public debate." ( Van Hear, 1998) Questions such as who should be allowed to migrate and the rights migrants should have are generating such debates. Xenophobia and racism have often made natural citizens of a particular country treat immigrants in a way that violates human rights- this is also a prime concern for the international community. Migration is nothing new. It has been happening for centuries- people moved from Europe to America when this continent was discovered, of course in search of a better life. Way back in the 16th century, the Mughals under Babur moved from West Asia to India- to conquer, yes, but ultimately in search of a better life. Even earlier, the Aryans moved from West Asia and surrounding parts of Europe to India- that too is an example of migration. But migration in the late 20th century and in the 21st century has assumed different proportions. Van Hear mentions what various commentators have suggested: generally speaking, globalization is adding to pressures generating migration, shaping patterns of movement and increasing anxiety about the issue. So let us first look at what globalization entails and exactly what it is doing to enhance migration from the developing and under-developed South to the more developed North. Globalization and its impact on migration. There is perhaps no perfect definition for globalization. It can probably be best described as a series of changes throughout the world, which integrates a national economy into the international one in terms of trade, flow of capital, technology, technical skills and knowledge, etc. Technological change is an important aspect of globalization. How it affects migration is interesting: first of all, long distance travel in present times is both cheap and easy, which certainly aids migration. Secondly, technological change has spread images of life in the developed countries, and these images appeal to the people of the less developed South because they apparently portray a better quality of life- this obviously makes people aspire to migrate to the developed nations in search of that better quality of life, whether real or perceived. Moreover, post- Cold War, the decline of communism and the breaking up of the Soviet Union have " generated great instability within the current dispensation of nation-states, resulting in the disintegration and reconstitution of many of them and further forced migration" ( Van Hear, 1998). Besides, countries of the eastern bloc have relaxed emigration controls and therefore people of these countries are now free to move, thereby fueling migration. In addition, in the countries of the developed North, there has taken place what is known as the "rights revolution"- with increased consciousness about individual rights and liberties, there have emerged groups lobbying for the rights of immigrants and refugees in the migration arena. This is another reason encouraging migration. Migration statistics in the US The 2008 annual report of the International Migration Outlook states that in the US Fiscal Year 2006 ( starting from 1st October 2005 to 30th September 2006), permanent immigration to the country reached the highest level since 1991, recording a 13% increase over permanent immigration in the Fiscal Year 2005, with nearly 1.3 million people receiving lawful permanent residency status. The increase mostly comprised humanitarian migrants, whose numbers increased sharply over the previous year from 143 000 to 216 000, and those migrating for family reunification, which rose from 649 000 to 803 000- mainly the unrestricted class of immediate family members of those who had already become permanent residents of the country. Migration under the employment-based category, on the other hand, fell sharply from about 250 thousand to about 160 thousand; this was largely because of administrative delays rather than a fall in demand or a change in the caps. The US continues to be the prime destination for international students, as enrollment rose 10% to more than 580 000 in 2006-07. India ( 15%), China (12%) and South Korea (11%) account for the majority of such students, 20% of whom study at the doctorate level, and often acquire H-1B visas upon completion of their PhD. In addition are the millions of undocumented immigrants in the country. Estimates by both the government and research bodies place the undocumented population in the US at between 11 and 12 million in 2006, representing a net inflow of about 0.4 to 0.5 million undocumented immigrants annually since the last regularization in the late 1980s. Diasporas What happens after migration, after a group of immigrants have settled in a new country We come to the concept of diasporas. Van Hear describes the formation of diasporas as a far-reaching consequence of migration. Diasporas, he says, are groups of people with multiple allegiances- one to the country that they call their homeland, the other to the country they have migrated to. Diasporas form as a result of what can be simply called regrouping- immigrants in a new country form a group on the basis of shared culture, interests, etc. Invariably, with time, diasporas become both culturally and politically active- culturally to protect their heritage, and politically so they can fight for their rights. It is important to note that immigrants never quite seek to attain the status of natural citizens of a country, even though living there for generations may make them less and less of foreigners. They form what Hammar calls "a new status groupnot regular and plain foreign citizens any more, but also not naturalized citizens of the receiving country", using the term "denizens" to describe them. (1990:13) In modern times, in the USA alone, there are about twelve politically active diasporas, like Armenian Americans, Jewish Americans, Greek Americans, Arab Americans, American Muslims, Taiwanese Americans, Polish Americans, etc. (Wikipedia). Obviously, with so many diasporas, diaspora politics plays an important role in the nation's politics. Diasporas and politics Diasporas are generally politically active in three spheres- their outsider influence on their homeland's domestic politics, the exercise of the rights they enjoyed in their homelands in the state they now live in, and their independent involvement at the international level. For any nation, the primary concern is the welfare of its people, particularly those who live within the territorial boundaries of the state. Diasporas, however, maintain that the homeland should formulate policies that take into account their interests in addition to the interests of the people living exclusively within the territorial boundaries of the homeland. The homeland's formulations of policies must accommodate the ethnic identity needs of the diaspora to allow for the homeland to retain its significance to them and thus their support. Shain and Wittes describe the negotiation process: "Although national identity can be negotiated between homeland and diaspora, the structure of modern international relations give the prerogative of constituting, elaborating, and implementing the national interest to the government of the homeland state. (...) (In) reality, neither the diaspora nor the homeland community ultimately dominates in constitute and communicating national identity. (...)The degree to which the one influences the other is associated with the relative strength that the homeland and the diaspora can exercise via-a-vis one another through monetary flows, cultural productions, community leadership, and the like." (2002) Some diasporas have become significant players in the domestic circles of their homelands, according to Shain and Wittes. In response to specific policies announced by the governments of their homelands, diasporas have often been vocal in their support or opposition. Diasporas often also seek to influence domestic public opinion in their homelands via the use of "monetary contributions, affiliated political parties, and transnational communal organizations." In addition, diasporas can influence the government and the public of their host countries, and have their social and political status in their host country affected by the policies of their homeland governments. Some diasporas may be apolitical, but diasporas that are established with the purpose of taking part in politics have been given a special term- ethnic interest groups (Ambrosio, 2002). These diasporas lobby for their ethnic interest, either on their own, or on behalf of their homelands. But what happens when the interests of the homeland and the interests of the host state come in conflict with each other This is common, Shain and Wittes say. They provide an example: " (When) the Bush administration in 1991 threatened to withhold loan guarantees to Israel unless Israel agreed not to spend the money in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Jewish-American advocacy organizations were forced to choose between their good relations with the U.S. foreign policy establishment and their loyal support of Israeli polices in its conflict with the Palestinians. Most chose to support Israeli policy at the cost of incurring the wrath of their American partners. But after the bilateral U.S.-Israel confrontation was resolved and the loan guarantees were put into place, many of those same organizations joined the effort to pressure the Israeli government to adopt a different attitude toward settlement activity in the West Bank and Gaza." (2002) On 11 May 2006, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) hosted a workshop on Contributions of Diasporas as part of the "UNITAR/UNFPA/IOM Key Migration Issues Workshop Series". This workshop focused on receiving more information on the various forms of non-financial contributions of diasporas and on the transfer channels used; identifying factors in home and host countries for the creation and success of various forms of diaspora initiatives; discussing policy options and best practices with regard to engaging diasporas in home country development;learning more about the actual impact of diaspora contributions to development and poverty reduction in countries of origin; exploring ways in which the international community may facilitate the engagement of diasporas in development cooperation; and looking at roles of diasporas in conflict and post-conflict situations, and identifying conditions for their engagement in reconstruction and peace-building processes. A panel discussion on the topic even concluded that diasporas play a certain role in alleviation of poverty in their homelands, as well as promising long-term development on account of migrant remittances and transfer of knowledge. However, diasporas cannot achieve all this by themselves- organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, in the homelands as well as in the host countries must support their efforts and encourage the initiatives they take. ( Summary Report, Contributions of Diasporas, 2006.) Diasporas and culture Not all diasporas are ethnic interest groups- some are apolitical, and their influence has little to do with politics. Culture is where their influence lies. What African immigrants have contributed to American culture is just an example of the cultural influence of diasporas- rap, hip-hop, blues, ragtime, jazz, soul, rhythm and blues are genres of music that African Americans have introduced. In the Caribbean and Latin America, African immigrants have introduced the ska, the calypso, reggae, as well as the pantomime and the carnival. Even the contributions of the Indian American diaspora are remarkable. Jhumpa Lahiri, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author who is an Indian American, bases her stories primarily on the Indian American diaspora ( specifically the Bengali diaspora) and the culture they have brought to America-stories that have appealed to people all over the world. Even Kiran Desai, who won the Booker Prize in 2006, and her mother Anita Desai, also an award-winning author, are Indian Americans.No doubt other diasporas also have major influences on the culture of their host states. Equally, diasporas also take the culture of their host states to their homelands, which is the reason Western culture and lifestyles are being emulated in many developing nations. Conclusion At the end of this paper, we come to the conclusion that diasporas are, basically, a result of people's search for a home away from home. Removed from their homeland physically, migrant communities seek to regroup with people who are somehow connected to their homeland, to remain mentally connected to the state which should have been their home had circumstances allowed it to be so. Thus, diasporas are formed. Once formed, every diaspora seeks to keep the memory of the homeland alive- be it politically or apolitically, and thus influencing both the cultural and political life of the host state, as well s that of the homeland. Given such a huge influence of diasporas on the political and cultural life of a country, and given the high rates of migration from Third-World countries to the more developed nations post- World War II and post-Cold War, it is inevitable that migration issues are now at the top of the agenda of the international community. It therefore becomes essential to look at migration and diasporas; hopefully, that has been done in this paper in a conclusive manner. REFERENCES Ambrosio, Thomas. (2002). Ethnic Identity Groups and US Foreign Policy. Praeger Publishers. "Diaspora Politics in the United States." Retrieved October 27, 2008 from Web site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora_politics_in_the_United_States Hammar, Thomas. (1990). Democracy and the Nation State: Aliens, Denizens and Citizens in a world of International Migration. Avebury: Aldershot, Hanks. "Information by country- United states". International Migration Outlook- Annual Report 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2008 from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Web site http://www.oecd.org/infobycountry/0,3380,en_2649_37415_1_70867_119663_1_37415,00.html Martel, Yann. (2001). Life of Pi. Canada: Knopf Publishers. Shain, Yossi & Wittes Tamara Cofman. "Peace as a Three-level Game: The Role of Diasporas in Conflict Resolution." In Ambrosio, Thomas. (2002). Ethnic Identity Groups and US Foreign Policy. Praeger Publishers. " UN Population Commission issues report on migration." June 6, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2008 from Web site http://www.workpermit.com/news/2006_06_06/un_issues_report_on_migration_and_development.html "Workshop Report- Contributions of Diasporas, 11 May, 2006, United Nations Headquarters, New York." Retrieved October 27, 2008 from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research ( UNITAR) Web site http://www.unitarny.org/en/diasporacontributions.html Read More