multihomeland

Multihomeland is a concept used in diaspora studies and transnational sociology to describe the sense of belonging, identity, and social affiliation that spans more than one homeland. It applies to individuals or communities who maintain ongoing ties to at least two national or cultural spaces through migration, descent, or sustained cross-border ties.

Its dimensions are both subjective and material. Subjective dimensions include memory, language, cultural practices, and loyalties that tie a person to multiple places. Material dimensions cover legal statuses such as dual or multiple citizenship, voting rights, remittance flows, travel, education, and participation in political or cultural life abroad. Multihomelanders often navigate competing expectations from different civic communities while leveraging transnational networks for economic or social advantage.

Scholars distinguish multihomeland from related ideas such as transnationalism and multiculturalism. It emphasizes durable, active engagement with more than one homeland rather than mere coexistence, while recognizing that identities are contested and situational. The concept is used to explain patterns of diaspora politics, homeland investments, and cross-border cultural production, as well as challenges of integration and loyalty when state policies emphasize singular national belonging.

Critiques stress that the term can gloss over inequality and power relations, since access to resources or legal status shapes who can claim multiple homelands. Critics also warn against essentializing identity, noting that tentative or temporary affiliations may be more common than stable dual loyalties.

Related topics include diaspora, transnationalism, and dual citizenship.