On Conceptualising African Diasporas in Europe

Michael Mceachrane

doi:10.1163/18725465-bja10014

Abstract

Abstract The article argues that there are three senses of the term African diaspora – a continental, a cultural and a racial sense – which need to be distinguished from each other when conceptualising Black African diasporas in Europe. Although African Diaspora Studies is occupied with African diasporas in a racial sense, usually it has conceptualised these in terms of racial and cultural identities. This is also true of the past decades of African Diaspora Studies on Europe. This article makes an argument for a socio-political conceptualisation of Black African diasporas in Europe that includes, but goes beyond, matters of identity and culture.

Highlights

L’article démontre que le terme de diaspora africaine renvoie souvent à trois sens – un sens continental, un sens culturel et un sens racial – qu’ il est nécessaire de distinguer lorsque l’on conceptualise les diasporas africaines noires en Europe
How should we conceptualise African diasporas in Europe? Since its beginnings in the 1960s and 70s, African Diaspora Studies has primarily focused on Black African diasporas, while usually understanding these in terms of racial and cultural identities and communities
In the subsequent two sections, I give a rough outline of two waves of African Diaspora Studies on Europe – that both have expanded our understanding of African diasporas to include Europe, but insisted on conceptualisations of African diasporas in terms of racial and cultural identities

Summary

Introduction

L’article démontre que le terme de diaspora africaine renvoie souvent à trois sens – un sens continental, un sens culturel et un sens racial – qu’ il est nécessaire de distinguer lorsque l’on conceptualise les diasporas africaines noires en Europe. In a broad continental sense of the term, African diaspora refers to all people who have an origin on the continent, irrespective of race, cultural, ethnic, national, or religious background, including North African Arabs, Berbers, and on conceptualising african diasporas in europe others too.

Results

Conclusion