Abstract The 1990s in Nepal marked a significant economic shift, characterised by the dual forces of globalisation and a Maoist insurgency, which unveiled profound socioeconomic disparities and hindered the nation’s integration into international markets, exacerbated by its landlocked geography. The insurgency (1996–2016) precipitated a decline in agricultural productivity and catalysed an increase in external labour migration, resulting in remittances contributing approximately 33 % to Nepal’s GDP . A notable demographic, primarily women, migrated to Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) countries under precarious conditions. Disturbingly, a 2024 UN Women Report indicated that 5 % of Nepalese women in Saudi Arabia endured sexual violence and 29 % experienced physical abuse. The Kafala sponsorship system further compounds these vulnerabilities by curtailing the rights and freedoms of migrant workers, entrenching them in exploitative conditions. This highlights an urgent imperative for the implementation of protective measures to safeguard the welfare and rights of Nepalese labour migrants, particularly women, in foreign employment contexts.

Abstract The Belarusian diaspora has undergone a profound transformation since the political crisis of 2020, which featured contested elections, mass protests and severe repressions. This study examines the evolving dynamics between the ‘old’ (pre-2020) and ‘new’ (post-2020) Belarusian diaspora communities in Poland, Lithuania and Germany, focusing on their values, identities and sense of solidarity. Using a mixed-methods approach involving two online surveys and 30 in-depth interviews, this article reveals that the differences between these groups are not just chronological but are also influenced by symbolic, political and emotional factors. The ‘new’ diaspora, driven by political exile, exhibits heightened digital connectivity and emotional mobilisation, whereas the ‘old’ diaspora emphasises cultural practices. Despite symbolic boundaries, solidarity emerges through shared trauma and digital platforms, fostering a hybrid, translocal identity. In the context of Central and Eastern European diaspora studies, this case study highlights the impact of political crises and digital infrastructures on the redefinition of transnational communities.

Abstract This article analyses Firoozeh Dumas’s memoirs, Funny in Farsi and Laughing Without an Accent , to examine how Iranian-American homemaking is constructed as a dynamic, embodied and sensory process in diaspora life writing. Drawing on recent scholarship in diaspora studies, the sociology of home and life writing, the article introduces and develops the concept of ‘multisensory homing’ as an innovative interdisciplinary framework. This approach theorises diasporic belonging as materially constituted through everyday embodied practices—tasting, smelling, laughing—that go beyond symbolic or nostalgic models of home and extend existing spatial and temporal paradigms by centring humour and affective materiality. The discussion situates Dumas’s work in relation to classic and recent diaspora theory as well as Iranian-American humour and life writing, highlighting its distinctive intervention: a sensorially grounded focus on everyday resilience and cultural negotiation as an alternative to trauma-centric or political accounts, offering new insight into the relational practice of homemaking for migrants and minorities across contemporary transnational contexts.

Abstract An essential component of any diaspora is its identity, which is a complicated and multidimensional phenomenon with a broad paradigm and dense discourse. This study attempts to analyse diaspora identity focusing on long-term links between the triad of diaspora, ethnic and national identities, using the example of the Korean diaspora in Kazakhstan. Drawing on data collected from a survey of respondents and content analysis of mass media sources, the paper validates an a priori working hypothesis regarding the patterns and systematicity of multiple identities among the Koryo Saram (ethnonym for Koreans living in the former USSR and the CIS ) of Kazakhstan. A comparative analysis of the theoretical concepts of ethnic diaspora and the empirical information determined the patterns of identity formation and interdependence, and the extent and priority of their manifestation in a multiethnic state that proclaimed the doctrine of Kazakhstan national unity.

Abstract Diaspora organisations play a vital role in connecting migrants to their cultural roots, fostering community-building and strengthening the ties between a diaspora and its country of origin. These organisations and informal groups serve a cohesive, unifying and supportive role, characterised by their persistence over time. However, despite the importance of diaspora organisations in maintaining migrant communities, research in this area remains sparse. This article delves into the role of diaspora organisations in creating and sustaining diaspora communities, with a specific focus on the Latvian diaspora as a case study. It examines how the activities of Latvian diaspora organisations shape the diaspora as both a transnational imagined community and a community of practice. It seeks to identify the key factors that contribute to the viability of diaspora organisations and their ability to simultaneously mobilise and reproduce diaspora communities.

Abstract The United States boasts the largest Nigerian diaspora, a group reputed to be among the most educated and highest achieving diasporans in that country. In explaining the Nigerian successes in the US, this article identifies Nigerian exceptionalism as a key factor, here framed around the concept of national narcissistic grandiosity. Although Nigeria is not a nation-state but a state of many nations, Nigerians in the US are constructing the nearest thing to an ideational national identity outside Nigeria. This identity formation is based on the idea that diaspora, which means dispersing or scattering, often undergoes a three-way evolutionary process of shedding, retaining and acquiring identity, which creates interstitial spaces for the emergence of new identities. The discussion draws mainly on secondary literature to support the thesis and the arguments presented.

Abstract This article adopts the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to explore the phenomenon of cognitive immobility, where individuals remain cognitively trapped in experiences or locations despite elapsed time and physical distance from those events and places. It explores how (im)mobility and life transitions hold people in the past. The study focuses on the cognitive experiences of Mrs Eve, an African-American woman who on her first visit to Dakar, Senegal, felt a deep, unexplained connection to the place. The article triangulates Mrs Eve’s experiences against those shared by other individuals in previously published peer-reviewed narratives to reveal how (im)mobility and life transitions can lead to cognitive immobility. It underscores that traumatic or memorable life experiences can result in cognitive immobility under certain circumstances and thus enriches the discourse on people who are cognitively trapped in their past.

Abstract The study delves into Indian cuisine in Thailand, using data from online sources that focus on content related to Indian cuisine, restaurants and grocery stores. The study applies content analysis to explore identity and the linguistic landscapes in Indian culinary practices. Indian cuisine is gaining popularity among Thais, becoming a part of their cultural heritage and showcased on digital platforms. Restaurants and grocery stores feature Indian dishes, ingredients and packaged foods, and their online platforms facilitate easy access to this cuisine. In the linguistic landscape of Indian restaurant names, bilingual names are the most prevalent, followed by monolingual names, with trilingual and quadrilingual names being less common. The potential of Indian cuisine in Thailand is evident through its introduction in convenience stores and the importation of Indian ingredients, enhancing India’s soft power and influencing economic and social dynamics in the region.