Identity Formation and Political Mobilization in Diaspora: Kurdish Diaspora in the United States

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.