American diaspora
Encyclopedia
The American diaspora refers to the group of United States
citizens who relocate—temporarily or permanently to foreign countries. There are no reliable figures on how many Americans live abroad, but a State Department
estimate suggests the number may be between three and six million.
With the decline of the American economy, and increase in economic opportunities for skilled laborers in emerging markets
, economic opportunities are increasingly driving migration abroad, both for native-born Americans and naturalized immigrants returning to their home country.
and the colonies, and America and the Caribbean
, there has been an American diaspora of a sort since before the United States was founded. Residence in countries outside the British Empire was unusual, and usually limited to the well to do, such as Benjamin Franklin
, who was able to self-finance his trip to Paris as an American diplomat.
and clipper ships
, Americans began to travel all over the world for commercial reasons.
The early 19th Century also saw the beginning of overseas missionary activity, such as with Adoniram Judson
in Burma.
The middle of the 19th century saw the immigration of many New England
ers to Hawaii
, as missionaries for the Congregational Church
, and as traders and whalers. The American population eventually overthrew the government of Hawaii, leading to its annexation by the United States.
During this time former slaves also migrated to Liberia
, becoming the Americo-Liberians, who dominated the country for most of its history.
In Asia, the American government made efforts to secure special privileges
for its citizens. This began with the Treaty of Wanghia
in China in 1844. It was followed by the expedition of Commodore Perry to Japan 10 years later, and the United States–Korea Treaty of 1882. American traders began to settle in those countries.
in 1902 to encourage greater cooperation between the United States, the British Empire, and Germany by allowing students to study abroad
.
the First
and Second World Wars
, many Americans , particularly writers such as Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein
, and Ezra Pound
migrated to Europe, to take part in the cultural scene.
Europe
an cities like Amsterdam
, Berlin
, Copenhagen
, London
, Paris
, Prague
, Rome
, Stockholm
and Vienna
came to host a large number of Americans. Many Americans also participated in the Spanish Civil War
in Spain
while they lived in Madrid
and elsewhere.
Other Americans returned home to the countries of their origin, including the parents of American author/illustrator Eric Carle
, who returned to Germany
.
, Americans became a permanent fixture in many countries with large populations of American soldiers, such as Germany
and South Korea
.
The Cold War also saw the development of government programs, to encourage young Americans to go abroad. The Fulbright Program
was established in 1946 to encourage cultural exchange, and the Peace Corps
was created in 1961 both to encourage cultural exchange and a civic spirit of volunteerism.
With the formation of the state of Israel
, over 100,000 Jews
made Aliyah
to the holy land, where they played a role in the creation of the state. Other Americans traveled to countries like Lebanon
, again to take place in the cultural scene.
In the 1960s and 70s many American men also traveled to Canada
and Mexico
to escape the draft. European nations including neutral states like Denmark
, Norway
, Sweden
and Switzerland
offered asylum to thousands of American expatriates who refused to fight in the Vietnam War
.
Some Americans abandoned the country
permanently, defecting to the Soviet Union, or other Communist-inclined countries, such as Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, current Libyan nominee as UN ambassador.
During this period Americans continued to travel abroad for religious reasons, such as Richard James, inventor of the Slinky
, who went to Bolivia
with the Wycliffe Bible Translators
, and the Peoples Temple
establishment of Jonestown
in Guyana
.
and Central Europe
, and Central Asia
after the Cold War provided new opportunities for American businesspeople.
Additionally, with the global dominance of America in the world economy, the ESL
industry continued to grow, especially in new and emerging markets.
Many Americans also take a year abroad
during college, and some return to the country after graduation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens who relocate—temporarily or permanently to foreign countries. There are no reliable figures on how many Americans live abroad, but a State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
estimate suggests the number may be between three and six million.
Overview
Americans have traveled to foreign countries since before the country was founded. In recent years, there has been an increase in both the number of Americans who lived abroad, and the number of news articles on the subject.Reasons for emigrating
Americans have a wide range of reasons for leaving the country. While many Americans emigrate for economic reasons, America's position of an affluent country and a country of immigrants means that Americans may leave for a chance to experience other parts of the world, to return to their country of origin, for religious reasons, such as missionary work, or to escape policies of the American government.With the decline of the American economy, and increase in economic opportunities for skilled laborers in emerging markets
Emerging markets
Emerging markets are nations with social or business activity in the process of rapid growth and industrialization. Based on data from 2006, there are around 28 emerging markets in the world . The economies of China and India are considered to be the largest...
, economic opportunities are increasingly driving migration abroad, both for native-born Americans and naturalized immigrants returning to their home country.
History
Due to the flow of people back and forth between BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the colonies, and America and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, there has been an American diaspora of a sort since before the United States was founded. Residence in countries outside the British Empire was unusual, and usually limited to the well to do, such as Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, who was able to self-finance his trip to Paris as an American diplomat.
19th century
Thanks to the increase of whalersWhaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
and clipper ships
Clipper ships
At the 'crest of the clipper wave' year of 1852, there were 200 clippers rounding Cape Horn.Notable examples of the clipper ship include:* Archibald Russell, 1905, a steel-hulled 4-masted barque, 291.3 ft. x 43 ft. x 24 ft., built by Scott Shipbuilding and Engineering Co of Greenock...
, Americans began to travel all over the world for commercial reasons.
The early 19th Century also saw the beginning of overseas missionary activity, such as with Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson, Jr. was an American Baptist missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma...
in Burma.
The middle of the 19th century saw the immigration of many New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
ers to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, as missionaries for the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, and as traders and whalers. The American population eventually overthrew the government of Hawaii, leading to its annexation by the United States.
During this time former slaves also migrated to Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, becoming the Americo-Liberians, who dominated the country for most of its history.
In Asia, the American government made efforts to secure special privileges
Extraterritoriality
Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. Extraterritoriality can also be applied to physical places, such as military bases of foreign countries, or offices of the United Nations...
for its citizens. This began with the Treaty of Wanghia
Treaty of Wanghia
The Treaty of Wanghia , is a diplomatic agreement between the Qing Dynasty of China and the United States, signed on 3 July 1844 in the Kun Iam Temple...
in China in 1844. It was followed by the expedition of Commodore Perry to Japan 10 years later, and the United States–Korea Treaty of 1882. American traders began to settle in those countries.
Early 20th century
Cecil Rhodes created the Rhodes ScholarshipRhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
in 1902 to encourage greater cooperation between the United States, the British Empire, and Germany by allowing students to study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
.
Interwar period
In the period betweenInterwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, many Americans , particularly writers such as Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
, and Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
migrated to Europe, to take part in the cultural scene.
Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an cities like Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
came to host a large number of Americans. Many Americans also participated in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
while they lived in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and elsewhere.
Other Americans returned home to the countries of their origin, including the parents of American author/illustrator Eric Carle
Eric Carle
Eric Carle is a children's book author and illustrator who is most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has been translated into over 50 languages...
, who returned to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Cold War
During the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Americans became a permanent fixture in many countries with large populations of American soldiers, such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
The Cold War also saw the development of government programs, to encourage young Americans to go abroad. The Fulbright Program
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
was established in 1946 to encourage cultural exchange, and the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
was created in 1961 both to encourage cultural exchange and a civic spirit of volunteerism.
With the formation of the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, over 100,000 Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
made Aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to the holy land, where they played a role in the creation of the state. Other Americans traveled to countries like Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, again to take place in the cultural scene.
In the 1960s and 70s many American men also traveled to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to escape the draft. European nations including neutral states like Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
offered asylum to thousands of American expatriates who refused to fight in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Some Americans abandoned the country
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
permanently, defecting to the Soviet Union, or other Communist-inclined countries, such as Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, current Libyan nominee as UN ambassador.
During this period Americans continued to travel abroad for religious reasons, such as Richard James, inventor of the Slinky
Slinky
Slinky or "Lazy Spring" is a toy consisting of a helical spring that stretches and can bounce up and down. It can perform a number of tricks, including traveling down a flight of steps end-over-end as it stretches and re-forms itself with the aid of gravity and its own momentum.-History:The toy was...
, who went to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
with the Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Wycliffe Bible Translators is an interdenominational organization mandated to making a translation of the Bible in every living language in the world, especially for cultures with little existing Christian influence. Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend and is associated with...
, and the Peoples Temple
Peoples Temple
Peoples Temple was a religious organization founded in 1955 by Jim Jones that, by the mid-1970s, included over a dozen locations in California including its headquarters in San Francisco...
establishment of Jonestown
Jonestown
Jonestown was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, an intentional community in northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones. It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, 918 people died in the settlement as well as in a nearby...
in Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
.
After the Cold War
The opening of EasternEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
after the Cold War provided new opportunities for American businesspeople.
Additionally, with the global dominance of America in the world economy, the ESL
ESL
ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...
industry continued to grow, especially in new and emerging markets.
Many Americans also take a year abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
during college, and some return to the country after graduation.
Issues in the American diaspora
One of the biggest issues with the American diaspora is the issue of taxation. Unusually among developed nations, America taxes its citizens even when they live overseas. While America has tax treaties with most countries where Americans work, exemptions only apply to a certain amount, causing problems for more affluent Americans.See also
- American Canadian
- Americo-LiberianAmerico-LiberianAmerico-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent. The sister ethnic group of Americo Liberians are the Sierra Leone Creole people who are of African American, West Indian, and liberated African descent...
- Lost GenerationLost GenerationThe "Lost Generation" is a term used to refer to the generation, actually a cohort, that came of age during World War I. The term was popularized by Ernest Hemingway who used it as one of two contrasting epigraphs for his novel, The Sun Also Rises. In that volume Hemingway credits the phrase to...
- Mexicans of American descentMexicans of American descentAmericans are a significant demographic in Mexico. Over 75% of Mexican immigrants are estimated to come from the United States, and Mexico hosts the largest number of US emigrants. Most commonly, American immigrants are children of natural-born Mexicans. When parents are deported to Mexico,...
- ConfederadosConfederadosThe Confederados are an ethnic sub-group in Brazil descended from some 10,000 Confederate Americans who immigrated chiefly to the area of the city of São Paulo, Brazil after the American Civil War...
of BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
External links
- The American Diaspora, EsquireEsquire (magazine)Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, 26 September 2008. - Jones, Chris. The New American. Esquire, 23 September 2008.
- Sappho, Paul. A Looming American Diaspora, Harvard Business ReviewHarvard Business ReviewHarvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...
, 2009. - Sullivan, Andrew. The New American Diaspora The Atlantic, 29 September 2009.
- Go East Young Moneyman, The EconomistThe EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, 14 April 2011. - William Curtis Donovan. The Coming American Diaspora, 1 October 2008.