Institutional Transnationalism, Parental Values, and the Next Generation

What is it about?

This paper examines ‘next’ generation institutional transnationalism, a concept that refers to individuals born and/or brought up in a country of settlement who are involved in transnational organisations oriented towards their country of origin – in this case Mexican and Salvadorangroups active within the United States. Building on previous research which views parental transmission as a major cause of next-generation transnationalism, this paper explores an additional and previously overlooked influence – parental involvement in cross-border organisations or causes.

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Why is it important?

These findings are revealing in three main ways: 1. They help to define an institutionalised transnational space for the next generation, in addition to emotional connections and non-institutional activities – the forms of transnationalism most often associated with this demographic group. 2. They support the conclusions of previous studies that suggest that household dynamics are an important influence on the emergence of next-generation transnationalism. 3. The findings indicate the different contexts within which next-generation transnationalism can emerge – not only in households where transnational activism is routine, but also those in which the parental generation has deliberately avoided or had less active involvement in home-country issues or causes.

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