This week was our last reading and, to me, it seemed to serve as a fitting conclusion to our ongoing discussions on transnationalism and migrant networks. We spent many classes defining transnationalism as an ongoing “conversation” between a migrant, their home country and the country they are currently residing in. So far we have focused heavily on a migrant’s journey to a new country and how they stay in contact with their old country. This is usually done through phone calls, sending remittances and even visits every so often. We really haven’t touched upon what comes of these connections, but in Transnationalism Personified by Potter, Conway and St. Bernard, we finally see some conclusions; some migrants decide to simply go back to their home country.

These returns aren’t as incredibly spur of the moment as I may have made it seem. Most of these returns are very well thought out and planned. Migrants would often make dozens of minor trips to and from their home country to make sure things are all set before they visit and stay indefinitely. Something interesting about the article were all the different reasons why the different migrants decide to go back to their home country. Most of these reasons reflect many of the advantages of transnational networks, such as education, business opportunities, familial support and a quest for identity in general. As we talked about in class, all of these factors play into the idea of strategic flexibility. These transnational networks allow for migrants to make these choices; many immigrants don’t have this opportunity. The situation between the United States, the Caribbean and many other countries is special since dual citizenship is generally allowed. Certain countries discourage and outright do not allow dual citizenship, greatly hindering formation of the networks that are so common across the United States. Going back to flexibility, it is very easy to see how these networks are beneficial to both migrating peoples and receiving nations. The global economy, especially today, isn’t as stable as it was in previous years. Being able to find work in multiple countries where you are comfortable working and being able to call out to nationals abroad during times of economic stagnation is really important.

Another interesting thing is when you take a look at former immigrants from European nations. The whole idea of keeping in contact with your former home isn’t as popular among Europeans as it is among West Indians. Many immigrants were stripped of their ethnic names and identities when coming to America, almost erasing away any possibility of reconnecting with the past. Speaking from personal experience, when my great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland to New York in the early 1900s, she was left with almost nothing from Ireland. Her Gaelic name was tossed aside and she was basically given a new identity. Almost all of her belongings were trashed and she was left on her own. It was impossible for her to keep any ties with Ireland. The luxury of strategic flexibility is a more modern development.

Moving onto immigration today, I think we’re really at a tough spot here in America. The classic argument is that we should strengthen the borders because illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans. Of course, the irony is that these jobs being “taken” are ones that Americans feel they are above doing themselves. In New York, some steps have been taken to help immigrants, such as the providing the opportunity to secure some sort of identification through the IDNYC program. Other parts of America aren’t nearly as accommodating. As for global issues regarding immigration, we really shouldn’t be so quick to jump in. Regardless whether we would be able to help or not, the second something doesn’t go right, the entire globe will be down our throats about how we basically ruin every foreign country we step foot in. Being America is basically a lose-lose situation- if we sit on our hands and turn a blind eye we are the villains and if we try to lend a hand and aren’t perfect at doing our jobs, we are also villains.