Diaspora: Why Do We Leave our Homes

What is meant by diaspora? Bing gives the following definition – noun, the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland, people who have spread or been dispersed from their homeland.

There are many reasons why people leave their places of birth and travel to often distant lands. Work is usually the biggest draw card, but travel and study opportunities also fall into the melting pot. A very big, usually unpleasant, need for relocating is a natural disaster or war. We often hear of people being displaced because of war.

All these groups that move to other areas often face similar challenges with regard to living and working and some experience very different challenges. More often than not, the change is hard at first but it can also be very rewarding.

I am currently reading a Wilbur Smith book about the diamond mines in Kimberley. The book is called Men of Men, and follows the endeavours of the Ballantyne family. In this period of history, many people left England and sailed to South Africa in search of riches in diamonds. This is a quote from the book, showing the excited expectations of many. “In a clairvoyant flash he had known that this was where his destiny would lead him. He knew that the two years he had just spent in old England, trying desperately to raise backing for his grand venture in the north, had been marking time for this moment.”

People rushed to Kimberley to seek their fortunes and in doing so, many others followed; builders, blacksmiths to make wheels and horse shoes, horse handlers, tailors, bankers, just to name a few. Of course, we mustn’t forget the bar owners and tavern entertainers. This particular diaspora included a crowd of people with different challenges and outcomes all seeking fortunes of different values.

Later on in the novel, Wilbur Smith talks of the origins of the Matabele tribe under the leadership of Mzilikazi. After a military dispute with King Shaka, Mzilikazi took his soldiers and their families north to what became Zimbabwe. It is an exciting tale of triumph over adversary and how a new people were born. Their challenges were very different from the diamond rush people. They found land for their cattle and settled down to a quiet life. They built themselves into a mighty nation that lives on in our history today.

A more recent diaspora trend is people leaving Africa to work and study in China. People not only from South Africa but also other parts of Africa are finding many opportunities in China. A site called New Internationalist, calls one city in particular, Guangzhou, Little Africa. In a post on March 11 2019, it wrote: “Guangzhou is home to Asia’s largest African migrant population, who come to China chasing business opportunities, reputable universities and low living costs.” It goes on to say: “In less than 15 years the African student body has grown 26-fold thanks to scholarships and each year more students arrive in China from Africa than from any other region, making it the second most popular destination for Africans studying abroad after France, according to UNESCO.”

According to the 2021 Australian census, 189 207 Australian residents were born in South Africa, making up 0.7% of the country’s population. In addition, 53 747 people born in Australia claim South African ancestry, making up 0.3% of the total population.

In a post on September 9 2021, a New Zealand site has the following to say: “South Africans are some of the most highly sought-after immigrants in the world. Countries like New Zealand are constantly seeking to bring in more skilled and talented South Africans to help boost their economies.”

This is a wonderful piece of news to hear, but in reality, getting into New Zealand is quite difficult. I have friends that have been trying to join their son there and they have had many hoops that they needed to jump through in order to emigrate. They finally arrived in the new land and are loving it.

So, in summary, leaving one’s country for work, study or travel has many challenges but also many rewards. The absolute experience of getting to know other people and their ways is a valuable asset to human growth and tolerability. Understanding living costs and daily expenses, local food and travel makes for interesting personal fulfillment. It is an achievement when you have learnt a new language or succeeded in your studies, to then be able to tell friends and family back home all that you have experienced.

The diaspora, the spread of people from their homeland, is a good and positive thing that brings whole worlds together in a new and exciting country for new and exciting opportunities.