Remember Where You Came From: A Study of Eritrean Transnational Organizations

Abstract

This study looks at the effects Eritrean transnational organizations have on the incorporation of Eritreans into U.S. society. Numerous works exist on immigrants and how they are incorporated into a receiving nation. Old assimilation theories argued that immigrants would shed their ethnic ties in effort to assimilate into the mainstream culture. In more recent times, the focus has shifted from the old assimilation theories to models that take into consideration the experiences of the new, diverse waves of immigrants that came after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Models such as segmented assimilation and transnationalism have been created to describe the experiences of these contemporary immigrants in their adopted countries. This project focuses on Eritrean transnational organizations and their effects on Eritreans in the U.S. Ultimately, the findings show that the Eritrean transnational organizations display defense functions that help ease the settlement of Eritreans into U.S. Society