An (Un-)stable Pillar: Second Generation Diasporas in an Age of Transnational Authoritarianism

Synthesizing insights from both the migration and extraterritorial authoritarianism literatures, this paper seeks to better understand the specific positionalities and agency of second-generation migrants, who are more likely to live their lives further away from the tentacles of the authoritarian state of their parents’ homeland but may nevertheless identify and seek to engage with it. In a globalized world, authoritarian regimes increasingly seek collaborate with, co-opt, control and/or repress their extraterritorial populations – that is those subjects (or their descendants) who no longer reside within the borders of the state. Therefore, various forms of diaspora engagement have become a clear priority for different migrant sending states. We have seen how authoritarian regimes not only encourage their first-generation diaspora to, for example, contribute to development and image-building for the homeland, but also increasingly seek to engage the second-generation through measures like invitations to invest in, “return” to, or learn about their country of origin. While earlier research has tended to highlight different positions held by regime-supporters and dissidents in the diaspora, there are other systematic and important differences that need to be recognized. For instance, while generational differences are occasionally mentioned, they are rarely theorized in a systematic way. This paper seeks to –at least partially– fill this gap and identifies a number of promising avenues for further empirical inquiries.