Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities Essay

Dispersal and Regrouping of Migrant Communities - Essay Example 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. 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 migr ate 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