Week 3_Angela Alejandro_ASA 114

Christopher Lee explores how different ways of understanding diaspora and transnationalism within the academic sphere in this week’s reading. In this article, he presents critical debates within Asian American Studies regarding how the term diaspora influences communities and their identities in this era of globalization. Some theories argue that diasporic communities hold ties to their respective countries or homelands. Lee connects this to the idea of nationalism, which he views as a feature of modernity, writing, “studies of transnationalism and diaspora figure prominently, can be understood as part of the larger critique of modernity itself (pg.25).” Further, Lee brings up the concept of cosmopolitanism, which refers to the relationship between capital and the nation-state. He cites that globalization and the spread of diasporic communities are a product of the homeland’s participation in the global economic system. In this article, Lee refers to many different theories on Asian diasporas and their economic, social, and political implications, my question is how would one go about researching the diaspora? What methods would one use to gather data and information on these communities?

Anderson, W.W., & Lee, R.G. (2005). Displacements and Diasporas: Asian in the Americas. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

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