Armenians in Strasbourg and Berlin: Engagement, Institutions, Diaspora

The thesis explores how diverse routes to engagement help shape, sustain and transform the Armenian diaspora in Strasbourg and Berlin. The Armenian diaspora in these cities has involved both historical and recent migrations from various countries of origin. The most recent waves of migration from the Republic of Armenia and other post-Soviet countries have contributed to significant transformations in these particular locations of the diaspora. These cities are therefore characteristic of a transforming Armenian diaspora, which is still poorly understood. I build on theories of diasporas being grounded in shared practices and narratives of identity, in which diasporic institutions play a key role. The thesis expands on the concept of ‘diaspora dynamics’, providing empirical evidence that illustrates how differing positionings and orientations lead to conditional and negotiated engagement with diasporic institutions. Based on 72 in-depth, narrative interviews carried out in Berlin and Strasbourg, I find that very diverse family migration histories and trajectories shape how Armenians engage with the diasporic community and institutions along three distinctive routes. The three routes identified are: first, directly engaging with familiar Armenian institutions based on a diasporic orientation acquired before migration; second, engaging through newly evolving migrant social networks; and, third, engaging via collective identity mobilising, driven by aspirations towards recognition of key identity-related narratives. Over time, these routes intersect and, in turn, (re)shape diasporic institutions, as well as the narratives of identity and community that they embody and the diasporic practices and projects they stand for. The thesis contributes to an understanding of diaspora not solely as the result of migration, but as the outcome of diaspora dynamics at work in the specific localities and nations where diasporans live. A better understanding of these processes can inform the work of both policymakers and diaspora practitioners.