Abstract
The highly motivated Chinese and Indians working hard to become prosperous in the United States or Europe, and the haggard Palestinians living in refugee camps have much in common. They are, with the Jews, Japanese, Africans, Afro-Americans, Kurds, Greeks, Gypsies and numerous other groups, members of Diasporas. What could such different groups have in common? Since the end of the World War II and the Cold War, Diasporas have increased. This is related to the raising number of migrations but it is an error to believe that causes for migration are the same as the reasons for Diasporas or for the return to the homeland. Media often mistakes "Diaspora" for "migrant" and even scholars happen to call migrants Diasporas more often. People tend to speak about them as Diasporas more often. Diaspora has been used to cover all sorts of expatriate ethnic communities that can somehow be identified as ethnic, racial, or religious categorical groups. The conceptual and definitional borderlines between individuals and groups of international immigrants, guest workers, asylum-seekers, refugees and Diasporas are still rather blurred. However it is important to distinguish between migrants and Diasporas for assessing the potential for the emergence and further development of new Diasporas in various parts of the world. What distinguishes Diaspora members from simple migrants? Why and when do migrants form new Diaspora entities or join existing ones, and to what extent this choice is made by migrants?
