Refugee Communities and the Politics of Cultural Identity

Abstract

The term ‘diaspora’, which productively engages with the complexities of migration and the formation of cultural identities, has itself come under theoretical scrutiny. In his attempt to build on and refine Safran’s (1991) tabulation of features that characterise the diasporic experience, Cohen (1997) distinguishes between types of diaspora and the subtle differences between them. In his book Cohen sets out to delineate the features of what he describes as ‘adjectival diasporas’ (p. 29), communities whose constitution accommodates circumstances of their dispersal: victim diasporas, labour and imperial diasporas, and trade diasporas. Even more than conceptual clarity, Cohen’s qualifications, specifically in terms of ‘victim diasporas’ enable a particular political stance. As he observes, ‘In Chapter 1 I identified the Jewish, Palestinian, Irish, African and Armenian diasporas as the principal ones that can be described with the preceding adjective of “victim”. Although this is primarily a scholarly grouping, writers and political leaders representing these peoples reinforce this classification with their constant cross-references and comparisons with one another’ (p. 31). He sets out to compare and contrast the various victim diasporas he has identified — what are the common features, and what sets them apart from the others in the group.