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4.5
I went looking for current research about diasporas for my blog and I stumbled upon Sheffer's book. This book surpassed my expectations. There are many books about specific diasporas (Mexicans in the U.S., Portuguese in France, Japanese in Peru) but not many that talk about what they all have in common: how they form, their strategies for managing their relationships with their host countries, and their sometimes tense and ambivalent relationships with their countries of origin. Diasporas have existed since antiquity but Sheffer points out what has changed. What was a one-way trip (un aller-simple) for migrants is now an agonizing issue we must face every day. The question, "Do I stay or do I go 'home?'" is always present because there is always a choice. Today, "home" is almost always just within our reach - hours (not days or weeks) away.I was delighted as well to see that Sheffer mentions in passing the possibility that the 5 million Americans living abroad are becoming a true diaspora. He points out that Americans have been living in Paris for so long in respectable numbers that they are almost a colony. There is also a significant number of Americans living in Mexico, Germany, Japan and the UK many of whom are not transients, they are long-term residents.This is a fascinating book. I sincerely hope that Mr. Sheffer will be inspired to write more on this topic.
