Whose Congo? Understanding Diaspora-Homeland Perceptions and Transnational Political Engagement in the Congolese (DRC) Diaspora in Belgium

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2019-05-16

Type of Work

Department

Center for People, Politics, and Markets

Program

Bachelor's Degree

Citation of Original Publication

Rights

Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.

Abstract

The scope of this project is to explore the intersection of diaspora-homeland perceptions and transnational political engagement. Research has already proven that the Congolese diaspora in Belgium is involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) politics, but little research has been done examining how the diaspora perceives the homeland. Analyzing studies of immigrants and other scholarship about the diaspora, this thesis suggests that the diaspora’s perceptions of the homeland and engagement in the homeland are mutually enforcing, mirroring a Foucauldian image of knowledge and power. As a result, the diaspora is slowly drifting away from the DRC, as it actively seeks to create a specific version of the Congolese state. In an increasingly fluid and globalized world, examining how immigrants view and interact with the homeland can help better explain transnational phenomena.