Diaspora

A diaspora (/daɪˈæspərə/ dy-ASP-ər-ə) is a population dispersed across multiple regions outside its geographic place of origin, typically comprising people who continue to identify—culturally, politically, religiously, or emotionally—with a particular homeland while residing elsewhere. The term originates from the ancient Greek διασπορά (diaspora, lit. 'dispersion'), which was first used in reference to the Jewish exile following the Babylonian captivity. The term now broadly encompasses communities formed through voluntary migration (such as trade, labor movement, or education) as well as through forced displacement caused by conquest, persecution, enslavement, famine, or war.

The concept of diaspora encompasses a wide range of communities, from longstanding groups such as Armenians, Africans dispersed through the Atlantic slave trade, and overseas Chinese, to more recent diasporas shaped by twentieth- and twenty-first-century conflict and upheaval, including Palestinians, Syrians, and Venezuelans. Contemporary definitions vary, but many emphasize geographic dispersion; enduring ties to a homeland; and social or cultural boundary-making that distinguishes the group within host societies, even as diasporas may also integrate deeply and develop complex transnational networks across multiple countries.

The oldest continuing diaspora population is generally considered the Jewish diaspora, originating in the first millennium BC; the oldest continuously inhabited diaspora community in one place is often identified as the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, established in the 4th century AD and expanded as a result of the Armenian genocide; and the largest diaspora today is the Indian diaspora, numbering 17.5 million worldwide as of 2019.