Research Project

This research project examines the intensity of and the mechanisms by which long-distance nationalism persists in immigrant diaspora communities in the United States. Though some theories of nationalism emphasize territorial belonging, the effects of globalization and migration have allowed people to maintain strong attachments to their homeland/country of origin despite geographic distance. This project seeks to understand the conditions under which long-distance nationalism becomes particularly intense and the mechanisms by which it is sustained across the two diasporas under study. The project uses a comparative case study of the Indian and Italian diasporas in New Jersey, a review of existing scholarly literature on nationalism and trans-nationalism, and a qualitative study based on interview data. The mechanisms being observed are nostalgia and idealization, identity preservation, cultural engagement with the country of origin, and political involvement in the country of origin. Overall, it was observed that long-distance nationalism within diaspora groups can be highly intense, but this intensity can vary across groups. Participants from the Indian diaspora often demonstrated stronger cultural and emotional ties shaped by recent immigration histories. In contrast, participants from the Italian diaspora showed a type of symbolic or heritage-based attachment that reflects longer processes of assimilation. Both groups showed that nationalism is not diminished by increased distance from the homeland, but rather reshaped through the mechanisms listed above.