Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism

Abstract. This article discusses consolidation of the Zimbabwean diaspora and its transnational activities. It presents formation of this particular diaspora as an unanticipated development that is contingent upon circumstances as they evolve in both sending and receiving countries. It draws from lo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rose Jaji
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios 2021-09-01
Series:REMHU: Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-85852021000200049&tlng=en
_version_ 1828126379825168384
author Rose Jaji
author_facet Rose Jaji
author_sort Rose Jaji
collection DOAJ
description Abstract. This article discusses consolidation of the Zimbabwean diaspora and its transnational activities. It presents formation of this particular diaspora as an unanticipated development that is contingent upon circumstances as they evolve in both sending and receiving countries. It draws from longitudinal research with Zimbabwean migrants in Germany and South Africa to illustrate this argument. It also borrows from Tsuda’s transnational outcome framework to provide a nuanced understanding of Zimbabwean migrants’ varied relationships with both Zimbabwe and the receiving countries. The article argues that migrants’ decision to settle for the long-term in the receiving country is not always made at the same time as the decision to migrate itself or in the initial stages of life in the receiving country. There are many cases among Zimbabwean migrants showing that migration was initially perceived as quest for reprieve from the country’s economic and political challenges while they “waited” for the situation to improve. However, the crisis in Zimbabwe has dragged on for more than two decades with no tangible solution in sight thus transforming waiting into settling. Economic and political factors in Zimbabwe as well as factors in the receiving countries influenced the formation and consolidation of the Zimbabwean diaspora and its transnational activities. Diaspora formation and consolidation in this case is an outcome of migrants’ adaptation of their initial plans to new realities obtaining in both the sending and receiving countries.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T15:33:22Z
format Article
id doaj.art-49e082c624ba4bad8dbf9e194b3a5ac5
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2237-9843
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T15:33:22Z
publishDate 2021-09-01
publisher Centro Scalabriniano de Estudos Migratórios
record_format Article
series REMHU: Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana
spelling doaj.art-49e082c624ba4bad8dbf9e194b3a5ac52022-12-22T04:16:04ZengCentro Scalabriniano de Estudos MigratóriosREMHU: Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana2237-98432021-09-012962496110.1590/1980-85852503880006204Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and TransnationalismRose Jajihttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0266-8541Abstract. This article discusses consolidation of the Zimbabwean diaspora and its transnational activities. It presents formation of this particular diaspora as an unanticipated development that is contingent upon circumstances as they evolve in both sending and receiving countries. It draws from longitudinal research with Zimbabwean migrants in Germany and South Africa to illustrate this argument. It also borrows from Tsuda’s transnational outcome framework to provide a nuanced understanding of Zimbabwean migrants’ varied relationships with both Zimbabwe and the receiving countries. The article argues that migrants’ decision to settle for the long-term in the receiving country is not always made at the same time as the decision to migrate itself or in the initial stages of life in the receiving country. There are many cases among Zimbabwean migrants showing that migration was initially perceived as quest for reprieve from the country’s economic and political challenges while they “waited” for the situation to improve. However, the crisis in Zimbabwe has dragged on for more than two decades with no tangible solution in sight thus transforming waiting into settling. Economic and political factors in Zimbabwe as well as factors in the receiving countries influenced the formation and consolidation of the Zimbabwean diaspora and its transnational activities. Diaspora formation and consolidation in this case is an outcome of migrants’ adaptation of their initial plans to new realities obtaining in both the sending and receiving countries.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-85852021000200049&tlng=entransnational outcomesdiasporaZimbabwe
spellingShingle Rose Jaji
Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism
REMHU: Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana
transnational outcomes
diaspora
Zimbabwe
title Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism
title_full Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism
title_fullStr Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism
title_full_unstemmed Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism
title_short Delayed Return: Consolidation of the Zimbabwean Diaspora and Transnationalism
title_sort delayed return consolidation of the zimbabwean diaspora and transnationalism
topic transnational outcomes
diaspora
Zimbabwe
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-85852021000200049&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT rosejaji delayedreturnconsolidationofthezimbabweandiasporaandtransnationalism