Abstract:
This thesis explores the Kurdish diaspora’s formation in the United States and the
role that the Kurdish diaspora’s political mobilization plays in fueling and/or resolving
the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. The investigated research question is: What are the
perceptions of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict among Kurdish diaspora members in the
United States and what types of political mobilization do they engage in?
This research is based on semi-structured open-ended interviews of the core
members of the Kurdish diaspora in United States regarding their political mobilization.
The analysis of the data was conducted with thematic coding: the emerging themes were
identified and discussed. While the research deals with political mobilization, it delves
into whom and what triggers the mobilization and how/when the diaspora mobilizes. The
research found out that the Kurdish diaspora has developed historic narratives about the
Turkish-Kurdish relations and promotes constructive ways of resolving the conflict. This could be an influence of living in a country where the concept of national identity is
based on multiculturalism, but further research is needed to make a fair assessment how
much the host countries national identities play a role in diaspora’s conflict behavior.
