Emerging Diasporas @diaspora2012-blog - Tumblr Blog

Emerging Diasporas

How do the newly emerging diasporas, particularly those due to traumatic, violent events, force us to reconsider our conventional ideas of diasporas? We conventionally consider diasporas as William Safran defines them, consisting of people who:

1) have been dispersed from a common center to two or more foreign areas

2) have a collective memory or myth of their homeland

3) are unable to fully integrate into their host nation’s society

4) believe that their homeland is their true home.

The Rwandan diaspora, Iraqi diaspora, Venezuelan diaspora, Chilean diaspora, Intra-African diaspora and the Intra South Asian diaspora (specifically the stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh and the Sri Lankan Tamils in India) have all been separated from their homeland due to war, natural disasters and extremely oppressive regimes. The collective memory of the trauma of these events and being forced to leave their homelands results in these diasporas having an extremely strong diaspora consciousness and desire to return home once the situation is safe again. They stay up-to-date with what is occurring in their homeland and try to send aid back if they can and support it however they are able to.

The forced dispersal has also made these diasporas to consist of many people with refugee status, fleeing with only what they could take with them rather than going to the host nation comfortably and with high status. Many go to neighboring countries and end up in refugee camps, where they can stay for years. This is another boundary between the diaspora and the host nation, though more physical than other ones, such as language and culture, preventing integration but also keeping the diaspora close together rather than dissolving into the host nation. The political situation and relationship between the host nation and homeland also affect the diaspora’s ability to integrate and with many emerging diasporas, it does not aid them in doing this. New alignments help the diaspora connect with other groups in the host nation, such as those suffering similar effects of war or those who share languages or culture but the diaspora still maintains a strong consciousness.

Though individually unique, the emerging diasporas seem to be extremely well-defined by Safran’s definition of diaspora due to how recently they have been dispersed and the forced nature of the dispersal, resulting in a very strong diaspora consciousness.

But many of them, excluding the Chilean diaspora due to the earthquake, also reveal how the impact of colonization and Western interference in nations is giving rise to these diasporas. They bring up the issues of dictatorships and the conflicting idea of national and ethnic identity from the new nations born after colonization, which R. Radhakrishnan notes is also an issue in the host nations determining how to define their diasporas. He states how the conflict between the national and ethnic identity brings the question of “How do these two selves coexist and how are they unified into one identity?” (105). In dispersals due to war such as the Rwandan diaspora and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, the clear answer is that they do not coexist and that it is the ethnic identity that dominates, resulting in the wars. The diasporas make it very clear that the past actions of developed nations are having very damaging consequences.

Radhakrishnan, R. “Ethnicity in an Age of Diaspora”. Transition 54. 1991: 104-115.

Safran, William. “Diasporas in Modern Societies: Myths of Homeland and Return”. Diaspora: A journal of Transnational Studies 1.1 1991: 83-99.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Oppressive regimes causing refugees in Africa

Among many other reasons which caused refugees, oppressive regimes also contribute to generate refugees roaming in Africa. Tyrannical leaders such as Bokassa (Central African Republic) whose image is above, Nguema (Equatorial Guinea), and Amin (Uganda) created hundreds of thousands of refugees. For example, Bokassa was notorious for his erratic and oppressive regime. In 1979, there was a food riot in the capital of Central African Republic, and Bokassa’s forces fired against the protesters, killing hundreds. In same year, his government arrested hundreds of schoolchildren who refused to buy uniforms with his picture sewn on them. They were thrown in prison and died of suffocation when squeezed into crowded jail cells or were beaten to death. This has created a lot of refugees from Central African Republic to neighboring nations. In the case of some nations, refugees are also due to nations that have unstable governments, frequently changed by coup d'état, or which have struggles between national leaders who often terrorize local populations.

Cultural Survival - “ETHNICITY AND REFUGEES IN AFRICA” (http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/zimbabwe/ethnicity-and-refugees-africa)

BBC news profile – “Central African Republic profile” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13150044)

IMDB – “Biography for Jean-Bédel Bokassa” (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2546076/bio)

#Shine Myeong

Chile relief efforts

The 8.8 earthquake the hit just off the coast of Chile on an early Saturday morning killed at least 802 and creating tsunami warnings in more than fifty countries across the Pacific Ocean. This devastating catastrophe has left thousands homeless due to the widespread destruction of buildings. Like the destruction from the Haiti incident, relief programs will not be helping Chile as a humanitarian crisis. The raised money will be used to rebuild the damaged buildings, roads, and attempt to return Chile back to normalcy. The citizens of the United States raised great amounts of money for the relief, but what was most inspiring were the people who fled Chile and came to the United States sent the money they earned from working here in the states back down to Chile.

The different relief programs that were used to help Chile were:

- American Red Cross: the Red Cross has made a pledge of $50,000 form their international Response Fund, that has contributed to further assist the cause.

- AmeriCares: Vice President of Emergency Response, Christoph Gorder, said that they sent medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Chile.

-World Vision: sent emergency relief supplies and staff to Chile to help injured survivors.

- Habitat for Humanity: had a continual presence in Chile where they helped construct over 1,300 homes.

- Direct Relief International: provided assistance in the form of medical aid to Chilean authorities and to emergency relief organizations in the area.

-International Medical Corps: had a presence in dozens of countries around the world, providing immediate medical care to those affected by the natural disasters.

- Mercy Corps: worked to ease the trauma to the children in Chile through a partnership with Education Popular en Salud, a Chilean health organization.

There are so many other organizations that have contributed to help the people of Chile.

Another way that Americans have helped raise money to send down to Chile has been through the art of music. Several relief concerts have taken place all over the country to raise money and donate to the relief programs. Many concerts gave all proceeds to help the cause. One of the more famous performers that helped with being a headliner in one of the concerts is the band ZZ Top.

http://www.looktothestars.org/news/4068-zz-top-announces-chilean-earthquake-relief-concert

#Tyler Franzen

The United States offers a helping hand to Chile shortly after first quake

Although the United States had offered aid, Chile’s government didn't request or accept assistance from us. All international relief groups were waiting and ready for any word from Chili's government. The International Federation of Red Crosses and Red Crescents said "the Chilean Red Cross indicated that it did not need external assistance at this point."

President Obama spoke briefly outside the White House that Saturday, expressing the United States' willingness to provide aid, and said that Chile is one of the US allies. The United states would/will do whatever we can/could do to help.

Because Chile and the US government are on such good terms, it was easy for the people of Chile to head our way.The people in Chile moved to surrounding countries as well, but primarily the portions closest to them and in the US that were not effected by the Tsunami. Surrounding countries that bordered Chile still experienced damages due to the tsunami and some from the earthquake, so it was in the lower portions of the US where the diasporic group headed. The people from Chile were welcomed and supported by many different foundations such as the American Red Cross, who donated 500,000 dollars to the relief funds for the people of Chile. Other groups who donated money to the Chile earthquake included; Foundation Source, Mobile giving and Mozilla. All of which helped bring awareness and support to these people who lost not only their homes, but felt a displacement in their culture. The people where acting in violent acts of desperation, and not upholding the traditional manner in which the locals normally conduct themselves.

Alexia, Barrionuevo. "1.5 Million Displaced After Chile Quake." New York Times [New york] 28 feb 2010, n. pag. Web. 3 Jun. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/world/americas/28chile.html?pagewanted=all>.

"American Red Cross Increases Chilean Earthquake Pledge to $500,000s." American Red Cross. American Red Cross official responce, friday march 5th 2010. Web. 3 Jun 2012. <http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=50ae4aae42b27210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD>.

#Tyler Franzen

Saddam Hussein's Iraq: Leading to the Emergence of the Iraqi Diaspora

As Sarah mentioned, the original definition of diaspora was meant to define the Jewish people that were displaced from Israel and forced into exile in the 6th century BC. This term, diaspora, has evolved and has been used to categorize many different groups of people forced out of their homeland by means of political unrest, such as dictatorship, violence, or oppression, among other things. The Iraqi Diaspora is one that is born out of a monumental mismanagement of Iraq by the dictator Saddam Hussein who rose to power in 1979. While he was in power he was responsible for the murder of over one-million Iraqis, as well as another million as the result of the Iran-Iraq War from 1980-1988.

The Shia and the Kurds were strongly oppressed and persecuted by Saddam’s regime, and as a result many of the members of these groups left Iraq. The identity of Iraqis that left during Saddam’s rule had less of an intention to return to their homeland compared to those that were displaced as a result of the Iraq War in 2003, which is discussed further down. The Iraqis that left as a result of the Iraq War knew that the goals of the invasion were to overthrow Saddam. They could picture an Iraq that was better than the one that have been living in and they share the feelings of wanting to see it improved enough to return to. This is opposed to those that were persecuted by Saddam, or just left as a result of his rule. They are less likely to share ties with the homeland as it is harder for them to imagine Iraq as an acceptable place for them to live.

Cummings, Denis. Iraq To Open Saddam Hussein Museum. 31 December 2008. 2012 June 2012 <http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2008/December/Iraq-to-Open-Saddam-Hussein-Museum.html>.

MacFarquhar, Neil. Saddam Hussein, Defiant Dictator Who Ruled Iraq With Violence and Fear, Dies. 30 December 2006. 29 May 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/30/world/middleeast/30saddam.html?pagewanted=all>.

State, U.S. Department of. "Saddam Hussein's Iraq." 13 September 1999. FAS.org. 2 June 2012 <http://www.fas.org/news/iraq/2000/02/iraq99.htm>.

#Nicholas Olson

A Displaced Iraq

The Iraq War that was started in 2003 between the United States, along with numerous other countries, and Iraq has contributed a growing number of people that are included as the Iraqi Diaspora. The war was started with the invasion of Iraq, known as Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which American, British, Australian and Polish troops went into Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime. Other countries joined after the initial invasion with the goals of disarming Iraq of its “weapons of mass destruction,” free the Iraqi people (by setting up a Democracy), and to end the terrorism caused by Saddam Hussein.

Even more violence and terrorism was invoked inside of Iraq as a result of its invasion than what previously was a result of Saddam Hussein’s rule. A direct result of the war in Iraq was a large exodus of Iraqis fleeing their war torn country. The population of Iraqi refugees jumped up to the third largest in the world behind Afghanistan and Palestine, in a time when the world’s refugee population had been decreasing. 4 to 5 million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes since the start of the war in 2003, 2 million of those becoming refugees as a result of fleeing their homeland.

Where did these 2 million or so refugees leave to? Syria has been the most generous, having accommodated for 1.2 million Iraqis. Jordan has taken in 750,000 Iraqis, Saudi Arabia with 200,000, Iran with 54,000 and Lebanon with about 40,000. These countries share a fairly close vicinity to Iraq but it is interesting to note that before 2007 only 466 Iraqi refugees have come to the United States. This was until the Bush Administration agreed to accept 20,000 Iraqi refugees that year.

See post below for an example of what the people of Iraq went through during the war and what life is like for one Iraqi refugee that came to the United States.

Iraqi Diaspora. 2012 Feburary 2012. 29 May 2012 <http://wn.com/Iraqi_diaspora>.

Larkin. The First Diaspora of the Twenty-First Century: the Iraqis. 27 April 2007. 29 May 2012 <http://wizbangblue.com/2007/04/27/the-first-diaspora-of-the-twentyfirst-century-the-iraqis.php>.

#Nicholas Olson

Young Iraqi woman tells what it was like in Iraq during the war, and the life she now lives in the United States.

#Nicholas Olson

Identity of the Iraqi Diaspora After the Iraq War

The Iraqi population that was living outside of Iraq before the Iraq War started in 2003 had their own opinions and feelings about the homeland. These feelings were used by those Americans on the side that supported going to war with Iraq to bolster further support. The Iraqi-American community played a major role in gaining the United States public’s support. Iraqis openly voiced more aggressive means to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime, of course after they were promised that the invasion would be quick and easy. Members of the Iraqi Diaspora as a whole want to see Iraq restored to a safe and non-oppressive place to live, so supporters of the war tugged on these feelings to gain the Iraqi community’s support by promising them that these goals would be achieved.

The identity of the Iraqis that are members of the diaspora is one that has a strong connection to the homeland. As discussed throughout our studies on diasporas, the generations closest to the leaving the homeland share ties with the homeland the strongest. Because the Iraqi Diaspora is a relatively new emerging diaspora, especially after the events of the Iraq war, they feel very connected to the homeland. As a whole the Iraqi Diaspora has intentions of returning to Iraq when conditions become better (i.e. after Saddam’s regime is ended, the war tearing through their country is over, and the terrorism has ended). Similar to the Venezuelan diaspora that Jacob talks about, many Iraqis would return home once the dictator is gone, but in Iraq’s case they still have to deal with the after math of the war and terrorism. They still consider Iraq to be their home. Many still return to their homeland frequently to visit the family they have left behind.

Even those living abroad participate in the elections that are held as a result of their newly formed democracy. They care about the living conditions enough to do so. A major point that shows their ties with the homeland and the feelings they still have for their people is the fact that many send money back to Iraq. Many diasporas send remittances back to the homeland, especially those that have homelands that are impoverished living conditions. The Filipino Diaspora is the most well known for this activity, but it is also extremely important to Iraq as the living conditions are below acceptable after the Iraq war and the ensuing violence caused, and from over 20 years under Saddam’s rule and not taking care of his people’s best interests. There are over 700,000 children living on the streets in Iraq, 70% of whom lost their parents as a result of the war and the violence of terrorism (car bombs, IEDs). More and more members of the Iraqi Diaspora are giving to charities that will help their war-torn brothers and sisters.

Akhlaghi, Reza. A Tale of Two Diasporas. 20 January 2012. 29 May 2012 <http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2012/01/20/a-tale-of-two-diasporas/>.

Al-Shibeeb, Dina. Iraqis in the Diaspora Keen to Lessen Their Home Country's Woes. 22 Febuary 2012. 2 June 2012 <http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/02/22/196339.html>.

Our Soldiers, Their Children: The Lasting Impact of the War in Iraq. 28 June 2007. 2 June 2012 <http://thesituationist.wordpress.com/2007/06/28/our-soldiers-their-children-the-lasting-impact-of-the-war-in-iraq/>.

#Nicholas Olson

Intra-African diasporas' vulnerability to terrorism exploitation

The intra-African diaspora is generally “extra-illegal” and lives a life evading the host government. It is especially active in the parallel economy, and often in criminal activities. This makes the intra-African diaspora especially attractive for terrorist groups seeking to make use of smuggling routes and criminal networks. To date, al Qaeda exploitation of African diaspora transnational criminal networks has been relatively low, confined mainly to involvement in smuggling of “blood diamonds” and other illegal trafficking. Refugees are especially vulnerable to recruitment by a range of terrorist groups, both Jihadist and other. Africa’s refugee camps are a major source of alienation, despair, and criminality, making them excellent recruiting grounds for terrorists and criminal gangs.

Related News(<-click!)

Ken Menkhaus, “African Diasporas, Diasporas in Africa, and the Terrorist Threat.” In The Radicalization of Diasporas and Terrorism, edited by Doron Zimmerman and William Rosenau, 83-109. Zurich: ETH Center for Security Studies, 2009.

“An Analysis of Migration Health in Kenya”, International Organization for Migration (IOM). 2011. (http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/An%20Analysis%20of%20Migration%20Health%20in%20Kenya.pdf)

Allafrica- "Africa: Terrorist Groups Exploiting African Weaknesses, Says AU" (http://allafrica.com/stories/201201250719.html)

#Shine Myeong

The intra-African diaspora

The intra-African diaspora consists of migrants and settlers in other African states. It is a kind of sub-category of the African diaspora. This intra-African diaspora can be roughly subdivided into two main categories: economic migrants and refugees.

First, the economic migrants are usually people who have few rights and little opportunity to organize. Some of them send their hard earned money back home for their family. Kenya also absorbs a variety of migrants from its neighbors, namely Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Mobile populations include sex workers, pastoralists, fishing communities, transport workers, and civil servants.

Secondly, refugee populations are also part of the intra-African diaspora.For example, Somalia, a vast East African nation that borders Kenya and the Indian Ocean, has been in heated civil war for twenty years. Therefore, many Somalis have fled to a nearby African country, Kenya, to escape massive unrest in their own land. The video above shows the situation of Somali refugee camps in Kenya.

Mashpedia - Somalis in Kenya (http://www.mashpedia.com/Somalis_in_Kenya)

#Shine Myeong

Brief History of the Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh

Stranded Pakistanis is a name for the group of Urdu speakers in Bangladesh. They came to Bangladesh from the Indian state of Bihar in 1947 during Partition, right after the region received independence from England. Muslims in India moved to either Pakistan or Bangladesh, then known as West Pakistan and East Pakistan, respectively, while Hindus and Sikhs in those regions migrated to India. From 1947 to 1971, Pakistan was composed of both Pakistan and Bangladesh, governed by the same government, though they were physically separated by India. In 1971, Bangladesh fought a war with Pakistan for their independence. The Urdu speakers, also called Biharis, sided with Pakistan, considering it to be their homeland. Upon losing the war, they refused Bangladeshi citizenship and ended up in UN camps, having their property confiscated. Pakistan repatriated some of them, as long as they generally resided in West Pakistan, were federal government employees or were members of families divided between East and West Pakistan. Repatriation continued until 1993, when tensions in Pakistan over the repatriation caused the government to stop. During all of this time, the Biharis were in the camps, citizens of neither Bangladesh nor Pakistan, essentially a stateless people though they consider Pakistan to be their homeland. This resulted in their calling themselves “stranded Pakistanis”. In 2008 though, Bangladesh gave citizenship to those who had been minors in 1971 or had not been born yet, depending on if they claimed to have no allegiance to Pakistan. Many still live in some of the 70 camps that still are in Bangladesh.

Alam, Julhas. "Bangladesh's refugees dream of Pakistan". USA Today. 14 Aug. 2007. 3 Jun. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2007-08-14-3079523328_x.htm>.

Ghazali, Abdas Sattar. “Plight of the Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh”. Countercurrents.org. 19 Dec. 2009. 2 Jun. 2012. <http://www.countercurrents.org/ghazali191209.htm>.

Siddiqui , Zaheer Mahmood. “Empathy for ‘stranded Pakistanis’ in Bangladesh”. Dawn.Com Newspaper 6 Oct. 2011. <http://dawn.com/2011/10/06/empathy-for-stranded-pakistanis-in-bangladesh/>.

“Stateless in Bangladesh and Pakistan Chronology of Events”. Stateless in Bangladesh and Pakistan. 28 May. 2012. <http://www.statelesspeopleinbangladesh.net/chronology.php>.

Weiner, Myron. “Rejected People and Unwanted Migrants in South Asia”. Economic and Political Weekly 28.34 1993:1737-1746.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Treatment of Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh

The stranded Pakistanis have generally been living in camps since the end of the war. These camps are overcrowded with unsanitary conditions. There is a lack of access to food, medical facilities and education in these areas as well. Without citizenship they are also unable to hold government jobs. However, even after some of the population was able to receive Bangladeshi citizenship, they still have difficulties gaining government jobs, having a passport, accessing credit or even getting compensation for the property that was confiscated from them after the war.

The offer of Bangladeshi citizenship also highlights a distinct difference between the older and younger generations of the stranded Pakistanis. Older generations growing up before the war still consider themselves Pakistani and speak Urdu. They had lived in a period when where they lived was a part of Pakistan and sharing the same language with Pakistan rather than Bangladesh would cause them to identify more with Pakistan. However, the younger generations, having grown up under the Bangladesh rather than East Pakistan government, can speak Bengali and want to stay in Bangladesh and become citizens. It is where they grew up and having Bangladeshi citizenship would be more advantageous, though it does seem that the Bengali speakers have not forgotten that the stranded Pakistanis had fought on the side of Pakistan rather than Bangladesh. They are still a distinct group from the Bengali speakers, not only due to their language but also for their role in Bangladesh’s history.

“Bangladesh Refugees International”. Refugees International. 1 Jun. 2012. <http://www.refugees

international.org/where-we-work/asia/bangladesh>.

Ghazali, Abdas Sattar. “Plight of the Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh”. Countercurrents.org. 19 Dec. 2009. 2 Jun. 2012. <http://www.countercurrents.org/ghazali191209.htm>.

Siddiqui , Zaheer Mahmood. “Empathy for ‘stranded Pakistanis’ in Bangladesh”. Dawn.Com Newspaper 6 Oct. 2011. <http://dawn.com/2011/10/06/empathy-for-stranded-pakistanis-in-bangladesh/>.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Stranded Pakistanis and the End of Repatriation

The stranded Pakistanis have had a difficult relationship with their homeland, Pakistan. Prior to the war, when Bangladesh was East Pakistan, they had an advantage over Bengalis, particularly in the job market, as their native language was the national language. This shared language with West Pakistan led to them identifying more with West Pakistan than with Bengali-speakers in East Pakistan. So when the war started, they aided West Pakistan’s army rather than the rebels.

However, after the war, their intention to remain Pakistani citizens rather than become Bangladeshi citizens caused a problem for Pakistan. South Asia in general is an extremely heterogeneous region with multiple ethnic groups speaking different languages and practicing different religions. So when the region received its independence from England, it ended up being split into countries that consisted of multiple ethnic groups in the same area. Partition did not help matters by causing Indian Muslims to have to leave to Pakistan and Bangladesh. So Pakistan was already having problems keeping its own different ethnic groups appeased. The primary problem was with where the stranded Pakistanis would go after repatriation, since their intention was to go to Pakistan after receiving citizenship. Most likely they would go to Karachi, which is in the Pakistani province of Sindh. But that province was already having issues between the native Sindhis and the Muhajirs, Urdu-speaking Muslims who had come to Sindh due to Partition. As can be seen in the map below, Sindh is right next India and so would have had many Muhajirs cross over to Sindh when the subcontinent was being separated by religious lines.

The Sindhis were afraid that the arrival of the stranded Pakistanis would increase the number of Urdu-speakers in their province, turning them into a minority in their own province. This issue resulted in Pakistan slowly repatriating groups of stranded Pakistanis until 1993, when the tension caused too much opposition for them to continue repatriation efforts.

An interesting aspect of this issue to consider is how this causes the stranded Pakistanis to differ from conventional definitions of diaspora. According to William Safran, a diaspora consists of people who have been dispersed for a collective center to two or more peripheral regions, retain a collective memory of the original homeland, believe they cannot be fully integrated into their host society and regard the homeland as their true home that they or their descendents will return to. The stranded Pakistanis easily fulfill the last two conditions with their different language and role in the war as well as still considering themselves Pakistani. However, the issue of where would they go in Pakistan points out that they have never been to their homeland. There is no place in Pakistan now that they would have historical claim to. They were Pakistani because of the situation where Pakistan consisted of two physically separate regions. Pakistan’s loss of Bangladesh was what could be considered as the dispersal event, though the stranded Pakistanis only moved to other regions in the country that has been their home since they left India. They never technically left the land that was their homeland and so their collective memory is of the time when Bangladesh was East Pakistan. This causes the divergence from the first two requirements. They remember some version of Pakistan, even if it was in its expanded state, and in a way they were dispersed or separated from Pakistan with the secession of Bangladesh, even if it is not a foreign region. Thus, the stranded Pakistanis are an excellent example of how emerging diasporas are changing the conventional ideas about diasporas through how the effects of colonization and decolonization have shaped them.

"Map of Pakistan". National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee. 3 Jun. 2012. <http://www.nttfc.org/pakistanMap.asp>.

Safran, William. “Diasporas in Modern Societies: Myths of Homeland and Return”. Diaspora: A journal of Transnational Studies 1.1 1991: 83-99.

Weiner, Myron. “Rejected People and Unwanted Migrants in South Asia”. Economic and Political Weekly 28.34 1993:1737-1746.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Brief History of the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in India

Sri Lanka, an island off the Southern coast of India, has a Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority population. There has generally been much tension between these two groups, particularly after they had received their independence from England. The Sinhalese have had control of the government post-independence and have instituted affirmative action policies for the betterment of the Sinhalese and consequently, the detriment of the Tamils. This resulted in a series of wars from the 80’s to 2009 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Tamil rebel group fighting for an independent Tamil state, Tamil Eelam. During this period, many Tamils left due to the violent conflict, India being one of their destinations. They arrived by many methods, such as via boat from Sri Lanka’s northern coast to Rameshwaram, in the Indian state Tamil Nadu as seen in the picture below.

Many are currently living in camps in Tamil Nadu, though some do live outside of the camps, though they do not receive support by the Indian government like those in the camps do.

Chamberlain, Gethin. “Tamil Refugees flee to India to escape fighting in Sri Lanka”. The Guardian 23 Apr. 2009. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/23/sri-lanka-civilians-flee-india>.

Iyengar, Pushpa. "New Words to Keep". Outlook India. 12 Oct. 2009. 3 Jun. 2012. <http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262064>.

Weiner, Myron. “Rejected People and Unwanted Migrants in South Asia”. Economic and Political Weekly 28.34 1993:1737-1746.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in India, Refugee Camps and Terrorism

The reception of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India was relatively welcoming, particularly since they were arriving in Tamil Nadu, which is the Tamil language state in India. Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Tamils do have a similar language and culture, though it must be stated that they are still considered distinct groups. The Indian government also had been on the side of Tamils in the beginning of the civil war, allowing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to train in India. This reception though, changed after the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi in 1992, believed to be done by members of the LTTE. After this, the refugee camps experienced increased security, local Indians not being allowed to enter the camps or interact with the refugees. Below is an image of a camp in Tamil Nadu.

Two other camps were also formed for suspected LTTE members. Rather than welcomed, the change in label of the LTTE from rebel group to terrorists resulted in all Sri Lankan Tamils being treated with suspicion upon arrival to India. The increased security of the camps reflects this and also mirrors similar issues in many refugee camps in Africa, which are considered to be recruitment grounds for other terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda.

The increased security further worsened the state of the refugee camps. While they do get free housing and other provisions, the camps lack room, sanitation, food, education for the children and medical facilities. Refugees also have issues with work, mostly doing physical labor but lacking job security. Tightened security also blocked the ability to NGOs to enter the camps. This was countered by the formation of the Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation, which works within the camps to aid the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Despite life in India, even though the war has ended, there has been very slow movement of Sri Lankan Tamils back to Sri Lanka. Many cite unknown conditions in Sri Lanka, confiscated property, still ongoing discrimination of Tamils and a new life in India, where the next generation has never been to Sri Lanka as reasons for not leaving. Life in India is comparatively better to having to go home where there might be nothing left. There are still many who do want to go back as it is their homeland. Though life in India is comparatively better than life in Sri Lanka, especially with the war, it still remains home for those who choose to return or not.

Chaterjee, Patralekha. “Tales from Tamil refugee camps”. The Magazine of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Mar. 1997. 28 May. 2012. <http://www.redcross.int

/EN/mag/magazine1997_3/20-21.html>.

“Conditions in Sri Lankan Tamils Refugee Camps”. People’s Unions for Civil Liberties. 18 Jun. 2006. 31 May. 2012. <http://www.pucl.org/Topics/International/2006/refugees-srilanka-report.html>.

Nadar, A Ganesh. “For many Lankan refugees, Tamil Nadu is the only home they know”. Rediff News. 31 Oct. 2011. 31 May 2012. <http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-for-many-sri-lankan-refugees-tamil-nadu-is-the-home-they-know/20111031.htm>.

“Sri Lanka: Tamil refugees slowly return from India”. IRIN humanitarian news and analysis. 11 Jan. 2012. 28 May. 2012. <http://www.irinnews.org/Report/94622/SRI-LANKA-Tamil-refugees-slowly-return-from-India>.

"Lankan-Tamils Refugee Camps in Tamil Nadu". Tea Shop Talks-Chennai. 21 May. 2011. 3 Jun. 2012. <http://teashoptalks.blogspot.com/2011/05/lankan-tamils-refugee-camps-in-tamil.html>

Valatheeswaran, C and Irudaya S Rajan. “Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India: Rehabilitation Mechanisms, Livelihood Strategies, and Lasting Solutions”. Refugee Survey Quarterly 30.2 2011: 24-44.

“World Refugee Survey 2008 – India”. UNHCR Refworld. 19 Jun. 2008. 29 May 2012. <http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,USCRI,,BTN,,485f50d82,0.html>.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Implications of the Tamil Identity for the Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils in India

While Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils are distinct groups, they do share the same language, thus sharing the Tamil identity. This has been particularly helpful in aiding the Sri Lankan Tamils in being able to integrate more easily into India and in efforts to be able to return home. The shared language helps remove some of the communication barrier between the groups, though the dialects are different enough that there would still be problems with understanding. But also, the shared Tamil identity creates a feeling of belonging between the two groups, causing many Indian Tamils to be outraged at their government siding with the Sri Lankan government and not ending the war as well as the many atrocities and human rights violations occurring to their fellow Tamils. Below is an image of one such protest in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, demonstrators being led by multiple political parties.

But while the use of the Tamil identity helps establish an allegiance between the Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Tamils, it has dangerous implications for the Indian government. Due to how borders were drawn after independence, India is a nation consisting of multiple different ethnic groups and so, has to create a national identity that at least can be held to the same level as the people’s different ethnic identities in order to stave off attempts by the different states to separate from India and become independent nations. Tamil Nadu is one of the states where this tension is especially strong. This is due to India’s languages being divided into two different groups, Aryan, which would include Hindi, and Dravidian, which consists of the languages of South India, Tamil being one of them. There have been movements to try and create a separate Dravidian or Tamil state. The resurgence of the Tamil identity due to the war in Sri Lanka and the plight of the refugees counters the Indian government’s need for a strong Indian identity. It also causes some issues with identity for Indian Tamils as technically, one of their identities has betrayed the other due to India’s siding with the Sri Lankan government. This is perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this diaspora, in how it creates an identity crisis in the host nation rather than the diaspora with its presence.

Chaterjee, Patralekha. “Tales from Tamil refugee camps”. The Magazine of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Mar. 1997. 28 May. 2012. <http://www.redcross.int/EN/mag/magazine1997_3/20-21.html>.

Dev, Ganesh and Ram Kuman. “India: Statewide protest against the war in Sri Lanka”. World Socialist Web Site. 5 Feb. 2009. 30 May. 2012. <http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/feb2009/indi-f05.shtml>.

“Impacts -Agitations in Tamil Nadu over India’s Official Language”. Agitations in Tamil Nadu over India’s Official Language. 1 Jun. 2012. <http://officiallanguageagitationstn.weebly.com/impacts.html>.

"Statewide protest in Tamil Nadu demands ceasefire in Sri Lanka". TamilNet. 25 Nov. 2008. 3 Jun. 2012. <http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?artid=27577&catid=13>.

#Mathini Mohanachandran

Return To Venezuela

Many members of the Venezuelan Diaspora plan to return to Venezuela if Chávez leaves office. This is increasingly likely since he has had treatment for cancer recently and many believe Chávez is not honest about his health. Websites offer advice to members of the Venezuelan diaspora about where to live and encourage people to return to the homeland eventually.

Advice Website

A presidential election is coming up in October 2012, some people hope for the ouster of Chávez, especially those in the diaspora. Chávez will be running against Henrique Capriles Radonski, a candidate that wants Venezuelans abroad to return. Those citizens living abroad still have the right to vote in the upcoming elections. Many think the diasporic vote can have a big effect on the elections since most Venezuelans abroad are against Chávez’s rule.

Keller, Mark. "Can the Diaspora Vote Influence Latin American Elections?" Americas Society. 10 May 2012. <http://www.as-coa.org/article.php?id=4158>.

"Hugo Chávez." Wikipedia. 3 June 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ch%C3%A1vez>.

"List of Diasporas." Wikipedia. 19 May 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diasporas>.

"Venezuela." Wikipedia. 06 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela>.

González, Ángel and Minaya, Ezequiel. "Venezuelan Diaspora Booms Under Chávez." The Wall Street Journal. 17 Oct. 2011. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904491704576573051332461710.html>.

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on How to Tackle Climate Change." Democracy Now. 21 Dec. 2009. <http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/21/venezuelan_president_hugo_chavez_on_how>.

#Jacob Lundgren

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