Redefining Diaspora Identity in Relation to Homeland: a Case Study of Iraqis in the US

Since the late 19th century, Iraqi immigrants have formed a community in the US that is widely known as a part of the Arab-Muslim diaspora in the country, yet the majority of this community is non-Arab and non-Muslim. The Iraqi diaspora in the US remains understudied and misunderstood in terms of its ethno-religious diversity as well as the type of influence that it has on its host country’s politics towards the homeland. The key question of this paper is that what is the influence of Iraqis’ ethno-religious diversity on their diaspora identity in the US? To answer the question, we consider the diversity as a vital feature of the Iraqi diaspora, with reference to their patterns of emigration, their settlement and the shaping of their diasporic identity in the host country. We comment on how the divergent dynamics of ethno-religious diversity impinges on different views of the “homeland” and on the future of the diaspora community in the US.