Diaspora Geopolitics: Romanian-Americans and NATO Expansion

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed increased interest in diasporas.In the current context of globalisation, diasporas have assumed greater prominence on the international stage. The link between diasporas and international politics, however, is relatively under-studied. The purpose of this study is to analyse the interconnections between diasporas and international politics from a geopolitical perspective. Specifically, I examine the linkages between the US-based Romanian diaspora and US foreign policy regarding Romania during the late 1990s when NATO expanded into Eastern Europe. The US-based Romanian diaspora attempted to influence the US political establishment to grant NATO membership to Romania during NATO's 1997 expansion by reshaping the prevailing geopolitical discourse about Romania in order to move the borders of 'sameness' to include Romania as similar to rather than apart from 'the West'.

Extra-territorial interventions in conflict spaces: Explaining the geographies of post-Cold War peacekeeping

“…According to the literature, migrant communities perform a boundary-spanning role, with transnational allegiances held by foreign populations creating domestic political interests in extraterritorial spaces. Through lobbying, strategic voting, media influence, etc., migrant communities may seek to represent and advance these interests, exerting potentially significant pressure on governments to assist their "home" countries (Popescu, 2005, Shain, 1994. Indeed, several authors have documented how "diaspora politics" have been influential in moulding target countries' foreign policies, particularly in areas involving self-determination, democracy and human rights (Carter, 2005, Dodds, 2000, Haney and Vanderbush, 1999.…”

Education During the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Case of Romania’s Political-Administrative Decisions on Education and Health

“…The psychological impact of the pandemic and the types of responses to pandemic stress have been extensively analysed by Scrima et al (2021), while studies regarding Romania were performed by Stoica and Umbreș (2020), Buturoiu et al (2021), and by Doiciar and Crețan (2021). Worth mentioning are also the studies by Popescu (2020) on the geopolitical and geoeconomic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as those developed by Crețan and Light (2020) on the geopolitical impact of transnational work and of the Roma migration during the pandemic, and Hayat et al (2022) on professional reconversion as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.…”

Theorizing Borders in a ‘Borderless World’: Globalization, Territory and Identity

“…Such fields can link diasporic communities and their historic homeland populations with often striking effects on both (see Anderson 1992; Astoruian 2005; Danforth 1995; Demmers 2005; Diener 2007, 2009; Ishkanian 2005). For example, Gabriel Popescu (2005) investigated efforts by Romanian‐Americans to convince the American government to support Romania's bid for NATO membership. Although separated by great distances and various international borders, this case highlighted the increasing ability of diasporic communities to mobilize to influence issues concerning their ethnic homelands.…”