Transnationalism allows a person to belong to a community that includes their physical community as well as a community of exchange and connection across borders. Prior to reading the article by Peggy Levitt about the Mirafloreños, I believed that the cultural connection of values and practices was what connected transnational communities. The Miraflores community consists of people living in the Miraflores village in Baní, Dominican Republic and Boston migrants from this community. I had never heard of independent organizations that link the communities, but it makes sense because of their relation. “Their daily lives often depend upon people, money, resources, and ideas in another location” (125). The Miraflores Development Committee is one organization that maintains the relations between migrants and non-migrants. In order to accomplish this, the organization establishes chapters in the sending and receiving communities. These chapters work to improve their living conditions, and they help each other to accomplish their goals. Villagers are able to stay current on the issues and the ways they are able to contribute to their communities. If members from Miraflores visit Boston, they are expected to attend committee meetings and the same is expected of one who visits Miraflores from Boston.
Today, I attended the lecture focused on transnational Ghanaian communities. Migrants establish networks and come together for events. They establish churches and mosques. Is the Miraflores community organization successful due to the “sending” community being one village? Could organizations like this be established successfully where there are migrants from various parts of the sending country?
