Diasporas cercanas. Nearby Diasporas

I have come across several types of attitudes among Argentine ‘expats’. For some Argentines I have talked to in the US, being far from their country made them realize how much they miss it, and how much they would like to go back, which they do. For others, being far made them realize how bad their country is and how better off they are staying away. A third attitude, entails missing our home country, and wanting to help to improve its social, economic, and/or political situation. Within this third ‘idealist and active’ attitude, there would be two types: those who want to help from abroad, and those who would like to go back to help in situ. I rank among the latter. However, for us, abroad is still a reality. So then, how to maximize that already declared commitment to help and go back, while we are still abroad? This has been one of the main questions for me during these five and so years away. My first paper for my Masters studies at SAIS was called “Leaving Argentina”. It was 2001 and the momentum for the largest default in history and middle class crisis was building up by the hour. I tried to explain the long lines for passports and birth certificates at the Italian Consulates in Buenos Aires and Cordoba to my professor and to myself, trying to not feel as part of the exodus. My mistake in that poorly researched paper was analyzing my feelings against the framework of migration theories that emphasized on push factors. I was not an exiliate or emigrant. I wanted to go back to my country, wasn’t escaping from it. I was part of something, the Argentine Diaspora. This more positive terminology, made me look at my situation from a focus on my place of origin, rather than that of my destination. Since then I have been trying to find ways to better understand the ´active´ Diaspora phenomenon. I have participated in the Centro de Estudiantes y Graduados Argentinos en EEUU as a volunteer, Vice-President and President (2002-2006). One of our initiatives was working with other associations to position the Argentine Diaspora under the radar of our national government. It happened to some extent. By mid-2006, I have felt the need to take some time away from the day to day efforts and look at it from another perspective. A more global that integrates other experiences. I want to learn more of what others are doing from abroad for their own countries, and how countries perceive those efforts. As both Social Worker and International Development worker, I need to know how needs are perceived and thought to be satisfied from different perspectives. And what ‘helping your country’ means to different actors, and to me. Means philanthropy? Means remittances? Means shopping there? Means influencing politics? Means knowledge transfers? In this search for explanations and experiences, I will be linking from this site to pages related to the Diaspora and ‘helping your country’ topics, that may help me some day as background notes for a doctorate research I would love to do, years from now when I am hopefully more experienced and knowledgeable…