The historical, cultural, social, and political backgrounds of ethno-national diasporas

This chapter discusses the substantial importance of the historical backgrounds of ethno-nationalreligious diasporas, as far as their current existence and their growing roles, actions, and influence on both their homelands and hostlands are concerned. The main related argument is that this aspect of diasporism needs much additional research. In most theoretical and analytical deliberations and discussions of the nature, composition, behavior,

and activities of ethno-national-religious or transnational diasporas there is a strong tendency to argue that the diasporic phenomenon is not old, and to focus on the diasporas’ recent and current situation. Thus, there are relatively few attempts to consider the age of the diasporic phenomenon and to categorize various types of diasporas and accordingly to study their historical backgrounds and their impacts on their current states of affairs and positions. Only recently some attention has been given to the very basic fact that the historical background of the diasporic phenomenon in general, and of each diaspora in particular, has an impact on their current situation. In this vein, the main purpose of this chapter is to generally examine the histories and the

cultural, social, and political backgrounds of current “historical” and “modern” established and “incipient” ethno-national diasporas.