Diaspora Economics: New Perspectives

Purpose-Introduce a new field and suggest a new research agenda Findings-Diaspora economics is more than a new word for migration economics. It opens a new strand to political economy. Diaspora is perceived to be a well-defined group of migrants and their offspring with a joined cultural identity and ongoing identification with the country or culture of origin. This implies the potential to undermine the nation-state. Diasporas can shape policies in the host countries. Design/methodology/approach-Combine ethnicity, migration and international relations into a new thinking. Provide a typology of diaspora and a thorough evaluation of its role and the roles of the home and host countries. Originality/Value – Provide a new understanding of global human relations. 1. Introduction The meaning and understanding of diaspora has evolved and broadened over the years to reflect the many different cases of diasporic people. As a word, diaspora entered the parlance of the economics of migration only in the last five years. We recognize diaspora economics as much more than a new word for migration economics. It opens a new strand to political economy. We perceive diaspora to be a well-defined group of migrants and their offspring with a joined cultural identity and ongoing identification (active or dormant) with the country or culture of origin as they envision it. However, diaspora are heterogeneous and complex populations. We allow for the potential of diaspora to undermine the nation-state, since diasporas can shape policies in the host countries and remain deeply related to the politics and economics of the origin country.

Economica

The process of diaspora formation is usually conditioned by migration processes and the creation of migrant communities abroad is one of the effects of migration that bring with it a series of advantages for the countries of origin. Diaspora represents an active power, involved in almost all fields of activity of a society, therefore, in the specialized literature, the term itself is treated differently, depending on the field of study that addresses it. However, how can diaspora be defined, how can its size be assessed, how is this term different from migration, how the interest in the study of diaspora has evolved and what are the economic ramifications of diaspora actions for the countries of origin, are just some of the aspects that we propose to address during the research.

IZA Journal of Development and Migration

Besides effects on economic well-being, migration of people with distant cultural backgrounds may also have large effects on people’s cultural identity. In this paper, the identity economics of Akerlof and Kranton (2000) is applied to migration. Accordingly, it is assumed that the utility of both the immigrants and the native population encompasses economic well-being and cultural identity. The migration effect on cultural identity depends, among others, on the distance between cultures. In a simple immigration game it is shown that immigrants may prefer to live rather in diaspora communities than to integrate into the host countries’ culture. This subgame-perfect equilibrium choice of immigrants seems the more likely the greater the cultural distance between their country of origin and the destination country is. Among the available policy instruments, restrictions on the freedom of movement and settlement of immigrants may be the most effective way to prevent the setup of large di...

Jagdish Bhagwati's proposal for a 'brains tax' to be levied on the incomes of the diaspora from developing countries residing in the developed countries and the proceeds to be remitted to the countries of origin of the diaspora is well known. In recent years the voluntary contributions or remittances from the diaspora to their countries of origin have often been higher than the aid monies given to these countries. It is now increasingly recognised that the diaspora may have an active role to play in the development process of their countries of origin. They are not only a source of funds; they are also a rich source of skills and know how. This paper analyses the potential of the diaspora as agents of change in their countries of origin and argues that the social rate of return to a unit of diaspora investments may be higher than that for a unit of foreign direct investment from non-diaspora sources.

2009

The workshop was supported by funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions, Cycle 4. The report reflects the authors' views and not necessary those of the workshop sponsors. ... Whilst migration has long been a ...

Quote from India and its Diaspora (website MOIA) " To view the Diaspora only through the looking glass of remittances and financial flows is to take a myopic view. Not all expatriates need to be investors and their development impact measured only in terms of financial contributions to the home country. An overseas community can and does serve as an important 'bridge' to access knowledge, expertise, resources and markets for the development of the country of origin. The success of this bridge is often predicated upon two conditions: the ability of the Diaspora to develop and project a coherent, intrinsically motivated and progressive identity and the capacity of the home country to establish conditions and institutions for sustainable, symbiotic and mutually rewarding engagement. Home countries are now beginning to recognise the need to pursue and promote the dynamic of the Diaspora and development. " MOIA, website Abstract This paper is about the role the diaspora can play in the development of its country of origin (former home country) and in the strengthening of relations between their country of residence (present home country) and the country of origin.. The focus is on Suriname, which has a dual role, namely as a destination or host country for immigrants (different groups of diasporas, such as Afro-Surinamese, Indians (Hindustanis), Chinese and Indonesians (Javanese) to mention the older diasporas. There are also the new Diasporas consisting of

A narrow, state-centric, and ahistorical approach to the definition and study of Diaspora cannot be justified by the dangers of promiscuous categorization, a desire for simplicity or practicality, or even lacunae in theories of migration. In addition to reconstructing a definition and typology of Diaspora that is applicable to a post-positivist view of the social sciences, and in particular international political economy, this article is an attempt to ‘rescue' Diaspora from its own entrenched victimhood, as well as from the elements of an overarching discourse that conspire to hide its applicability to the wider global political economy.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

Human mobility and migration is not a recent phenomenon rather it is one of the survival strategies adopted since the dawn of human civilization. Migration is the most important and natural phenomena leading to human progress and development. The International Migration Report (2015) brought out by UNDP underscores the importance of migration and development linkages. It mentions that there are more than 244 million people or 3.3 percent of world's population live outside their country of origin. Most of them are youth population with median age 39 years. Unlike earlier migration, the recent decade has seen growing feminisation of migration. The migration flow cannot be ignored in an interconnected global world considering its impact on the social, economic and political arena