Socio-Economic Transnationalism and Integration

Abstract

Overseas Americans maintain links with friends and family at home, join American organizations in their host country, and send money to family and friends in the US. At the same time, many are also well integrated into their host countries, speaking the language well, holding a job, and feeling a sense of belonging. The co-existence of transnational engagement and socio-economic integration, or simultaneity (Levitt and Glick Schiller 2004) has now been widely recognized (see, e.g., Erdal and Oeppen 2013; Guarnizo et al. 2003; Kivisto 2003; Koopmans et al. 2005: 237; Morawska 2003; Portes et al. 2002; Snel et al. 2006). Often, however, discussions of migrant integration are colored by the politicization of their transnationalism. The image of diasporas or transnational communities as peace-breakers (Adamson 2002: 165) and the seemingly widespread concern in Europe about the integration of Muslim migrants distracts from the possibility of unproblematic simultaneity of transnationalism and integration. The case of Americans is less contentious, with neither their transnational engagement nor their integration politicized by European host countries, and, as such, allows us to explore the simultaneity of the two in a less politicized manner. This chapter explores the socio-economic transnational engagement and socio-economic integration of American migrants in France, Germany, and the UK.