Colleen Cruz, Jennifer Nguyen, Anna Pak

ASA 114

Kieu-Linh Caroline Valverde

January 19, 2020

 Week 3 Presentation: Transnationalism

What is transnationalism? We created a working definition that states that it is a process for immigrants/migrants that establishes various networks across national boundaries including the creation of multiple sites of "home". With this in mind, how does transnationalism fit into diasporic and Asian American studies? Lee’s chapter, “Diaspora, Transnationalism, and Asian American Studies: Positions and Debates”, describes how Asian American studies views “its object of study as transnational” and international (Anderson and Lee 24). Considering the international origins of the field, Lee emphasizes the role of transnationalism in diasporas, ethnic studies, and other disciplines in current times. Similarly, Schiller’s chapter, “Lived Simultaneity and Discourses of Diasporic Differences” emphasizes the immigrant/migrant’s potential to simultaneously incorporate themselves into one nation/culture/economy and maintain/create networks beyond national borders. She focuses on how the lived experiences of migrant networks and academic discourse in Asian American studies engage with diasporic identity. 

Before we further discuss transnationalism, we will review the concept of diaspora and how these groups feel a connection/tension/alienation from their language, history, and roots. Ien Ang in particular defines diaspora as “transnational, spatially and temporally sprawling sociocultural formations of people, creating imagined communities whose blurred and fluctuating boundaries are sustained by real and/or symbolic ties to some original ‘homeland’” (Anderson & Lee 25). This definition gives us a sense of the range of phenomena that could be included in diasporic studies. Braziel and Mannur argue a different definition of diaspora as the “affections, subjectivities, and identities” constructed “in relation to a real or imaginary ‘homeland’” (Anderson & Lee 25), focusing on identity constructions. Speaking of constructing identity, this ties into Schiller’s discussion of lived simultaneity. As aforementioned, this concept refers to the various ways in which individuals can settle in the institutions, economy, and forms of cultural production within one nation. These groups also produce cultural expressions and maintain transnational connections/identifications at the same time, hence the simultaneity aspect. Schiller seems to emphasize the fluidity of these groups’ capabilities and positions within/between nation-states, embodying Ang’s definition of diaspora.

Long distance nationalism also ties into this phenomenon by describing how individuals deal with identity politics through cross-border social networks. These interactions could both contribute to or challenge nation-state building. As an example, I discuss how my mother retains an interest in the politics of her birth homeland, South Korea, especially when American politics overlap. She discussed voting for the current president since the current administration was heavily involved with mediating North/South Korean relations. My mother’s relationship with these politics indicates a dual engagement with different sites of home.

As for denationalization, the given definition is transferred (a nationalized industry or institution) from the public to private ownership. How does this term fit into Asian American and diasporic studies? In Schiller’s chapter, Sau Ling Wong discusses how denationalization could undermine Asian American Studies’ engagement with domestic political issues and “claiming” America (Anderson & Lee 31). Although Wong has a point on a specific problem, there are diaspora groups that may disagree, but they have similar concerns. The examples that are given have similar concerns towards denationalization. These examples explain how denationalization can affect these experiences that play a role within other groups, emphasizing the importance of the diasporic experience through transnationalism.Scott Lucious’s essay bridges gap between African and Asian American Studies.The persistence of racism and colorism raises new questions about Asian complicity with continuing forms of discrimination (Anderson & Lee 31). There is a need to link diaspora by teaching and researching new projects that talk about the history and experiences about groups of diaspora.

We then moved onto double belonging. This idea refers to how diasporic groups choose the traditions, practices, and material culture from their homeland. An example of a material culture connection for me is the only few pictures my mom had of herself when she was young. Her photos help me feel that connection with her homeland. They connect with this material culture in their lives and their community in their current home, dealing with the fluidity of nation-state borders and identity constructions. On the slide, there is an example of how the organization connects with their homeland, like how a Vietnamese organization in Montreal who represent themselves as an ethnic organization in the reading. They are engaging themselves to work with Vietnamese abroad in reclaiming their homeland from its current communist government (Anderson and Lee 165). This creates a transnational connection through double belonging, influenced by migrant networks in a global state. This cultural and social process creates a diaspora in overseas communities to connect with it. The process assists in describing moments that also apply to the Asian diaspora communities’ experience, stories, explore their roots, and historical connection. 

In Lee’s chapter, he does a great job at discussing aspects of ethnic studies/Asian-American studies that are often left out of the conversation. First, he defines cosmopolitanism which explores the economic side of transnationalism. It helps clear up misunderstandings about capital and the nation-state (Lee 28). This is important because it provides context for aspects of migration by contextualizing why immigrants go abroad and work in other countries. This can be exemplified in overseas Filipino workers and Chinese investors. As mentioned by Lee, capital and transnationalism have a strong relationship as these workers create homes abroad to eventually come back to their homeland. This is a topic that is explored in ethnic studies, but he makes sure to highlight it as an important element to transnationalism. 

Moreover, he also recommends that queer theory and feminism be integrated into ethnic studies/Asian-American studies. Much of today’s discussion are often focused on heterosexual relationships and dynamics (Lee 29, 30). It also neglects the experiences and roles of women in the diaspora. It continues to be ignored because the nation-state was built on inequalities and biases related to gender (Lee 29). Therefore, it is crucial to apply a critical perspective using queer theory and feminism to break down the barriers and traditions. Gender and sexual identity are also integral to one’s identity — just like one’s national or racial identity. Thus, it cannot be ignored from the conversation about one’s life experience in relation to the diaspora or transnationalism. 

In Schiller’s chapter, she discusses an important aspects of transnationalism and diaspora — assimilation, acculturation, and symbolic ethnicity. These three things all relate to the level of integration that occurs for immigrants into the host country. Assimilation and acculturation are similar but represent different experiences. Assimilation is a complete dissipation of one’s differences from the mainstream whereas acculturation is more of a cultural adjustment than a complete transformation of culture (Schiller 161). These two concepts often describe immigrant experience in new countries. There is often a pressure to assimilate or acculturate to be considered a citizen or member of this new society. The influence to do so often results in issues of identity development. However, Schiller discusses symbolic ethnicity which plays a role in maintaining one’s identity (Schiller 161). It is the remembrance of one’s culture and cultural norms without the frequent application in one’s life. This allows immigrants to hold onto pieces of their homeland. Overall, these are defining concepts in the transnational and diasporic experience. 

Overall, Schiller and Lee make a strong argument that transnationalism and diaspora cannot be separated from Asian-American studies and lived experiences. This is because one’s ties to the homeland continue when one moves to a new country. Thus, it is crucial to explore how identity and the way we study identity are heavily influenced by patterns of migration. The discussion of Asian-American studies and Asian-American experiences would be incomplete without the concepts mentioned within these two chapters.

Works Cited

Displacements and Diasporas : Asians in the Americas / Edited by Wanni W. Anderson, Robert 

G. Lee, edited by Wanni W. Anderson, et al., Rutgers University Press, 2005. ProQuest 

Ebook Central,http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucdavis/detail.action?docID=977460.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.) Retrieved from 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acculturation. 

P. Dhingra & R. Rodriguez. (2014). Asian America: Sociological and Interdisciplinary 

Perspectives. UK: Polity Press. 

Image sources on Google Slides presentation: 

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ec/93/ec/ec93eccba2ae7876d2efcf5897674c2f.jpg 

https://study.com/academy/lesson/transnational-strategy-definition-examples.html 

http://worldofdtcmarketing.com/is-it-time-to-change-the-pharma-product-website-model/health-information-online/attachment/influencer-thumb-580x352-3545/

http://worldofdtcmarketing.com/is-it-time-to-change-the-pharma-product-website-model/health-information-online/attachment/influencer-thumb-580x352-3545/

https://visionnewspaper.ca/the-act-of-soft-denationalization-of-jamaican-citizens-living-overseas-by-the-issuance-of-a-global-immigration-card-is-bad-public-policy/

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/869042.shtml

http://www.newnownext.com/guide-lgbt-flags/07/2017/

http://www.newnownext.com/guide-lgbt-flags/07/2017/

https://www.bidd.org.rs/diaspora-diplomacy-a-double-edged-sword/