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From Diaspora to Transnation and back: Croatian migrant institutions and the (re)making of Croatia

The Croatian case shows that it is very difficult to talk about continuous and linear development from the relation diaspora - homeland towards a trans-nation. The homeland produces diaspora (as well) and diaspora re-makes the homeland but there is nothing causal within this relation that could unambiguously explain the formation of a trans-nation. This case however points to several facts that are worth investigating and comparing with other diaspora cases. Diaspora tends to participate in the process of state-formation in one way or another. Sometimes its participation is disproportionally significant, considering the number of key diasporan actors. It tends to strengthen the endeavour to control the political processes in the homeland over longer periods of time yet only if this doesn't jeopardise its existence in the "host" society which is probably one of diaspora's paradoxes. It tends to cease to exist as a diaspora because of intolerable discrepancy between home and dwelling but usually it never succeeds in this and probably never wants to succeed. It is definitely important to examine in a more controlled manner whether the tension resulting from this discrepancy is more constituting for diaspora as a social form than the real possibility to control the homeland. Another thing that needs to be compared on a wider scale is the power of the political momentum in the homeland and the "host" society which enables the amplifying of diasporan mobilisation and action and which eventually enables the political formation of a trans-nation. Finally, nationalist diasporas participate in nation and state formation and contribute to transnationalisation at the same time but ironically it is the nation-state again which will decide through its measures and policies whether a particular transnation will be sustainable or not.

diaspora, transnation, Croatia, nation-building

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