Diaspora

The term diaspora indicates the dispersion of a ethnic community or a Peuple throughout the world.

In the beginning, this term recovered only the phenomenon of dispersion itself. Today, by extension, it indicates also the result of dispersion, i.e. the whole of the members of a community dispersed in several countries.

Among the most known diasporas, one can quote the Jewish Diaspora, the Irish Diaspora, the Italian Diaspora, the Armenian Diaspora, the African Diaspora, the Chinese Diaspora, the Palestinian Diaspora, the Lebanese Diaspora, the Korean Diaspora and even of the culturally migrant populations of old countries become sometimes areas (for example the Breton diaspora, the diaspora gipsy, the diaspora Berber) or divided on several countries or it having fled (for example the Russian diaspora, the Kampuchean diaspora and the Québécois diaspora (descendants of French of News-France).

Presentation of a diaspora according to Michel Bruneau, Geographer, CNRS Bordeaux

The term of diaspora is used to indicate all kinds of phenomena resulting from migrations from population in several countries, starting from a transmitting hearth. Used a long time to indicate the dispersion of the Jews in Antiquity, his field of application widened today, as in the meanings of the geographers. R.Brunet (1992) enumerates three types of causes of dissemination: “a forced dispersion, in the absence of clean country (Palestinian diaspora); a difficulty of more or less temporary existence (Portuguese, Irish diaspora); or a choice of activities and lifestyles”. The political economists were interested in the role of the diasporas in the relations between States, between country of origin and host country.

The great problems which touch the diasporas relate to economic space, flows transnational, the religious structures, the comparisons between the various modes of reception of the receiving countries, the concept of territoriality and big spaces crossroads.

The definition of a diaspora

3 essential characteristics:

  1. conscience and the fact of asserting an ethnic or national identity.

  2. the existence of an political organization, nun or cultural of the dispersed group (community life).
  3. the existence of contacts in various forms, real or imaginary, with the territory or the country of origin (the integration of a diasporé group does not mean the assimilation in the host country).

Dispersion in the host countries

The space of a diaspora is a diffuse and réticulé transnational space, fact of a multitude of dispersed cores, centers of communities, and a multipolarity without strict hierarchy. The Community bond is essential for the perenniality of the diaspora. It is established starting from various anchorings (family home, districts, religious buildings, seats of associations) and develops through many networks (regional dies and cultures).

Memory and the territory of origin

The memory plays a big role in the structuring of the communities and can be registered in reference to a real or mythical territory when it is non-existent. The reference to the territory D `origin is particularly strong for the diasporas resulting from the vast eurasiatic zone, at one time place of predilection of the multiethnic empires. The relationship between the diasporas and the State-nation is difficult, when this last is accompanied by ethnic homogenization, giving place sometimes to genocides (in Turkey: Armenian genocides, Greek pontic and assyro-chaldéen). But the diasporas largely contributed to create, to repopulate their State-nation (Greece, Arménie, Israel, Quebec). Sometimes the diaspora is used like an extension of the policy of the territory of origin, and conversely it can make pressure on the foreign policy.

The space system of the diaspora and the State-nation

Tally historical of the diasporas:
  • great multiethnic empires
  • colonial empires (British empire, Russian empire)

The diasporas redeploy more and more in the countries of the new world (North America and of the South, Australia). The phenomena of migratory circulation (territory of origin-territory of reception) tend to spread with progress of the techniques of transport and communication. In the post-modern State-nation, the diasporas less comparable than are integrated and preserve a certain autonomy.

Universalization and structuring of the diasporas

The territories of origin of the diasporas are often of large isthmuses on a worldwide scale: The Middle East, South Asia is and America the power station-Caribbean. The diasporas can also come from zones of strong demographic pressures and relative poverty (“proletarian” diasporas which with the second generation become true diasporas, because they have the means of self-development). It is only as from the XIXe century that the diasporas mondialisées themselves.

Three great types of diasporas

Entrepreneurial pole (too diversified religion, little impact of the State-nation of origin)

Religious pole and linguistics (influence of the companies and the increasingly strong State-nation)

Political pole (when the territory of origin is dominated by a foreign power)

Simple: Diaspora

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