Islam, Multiculturalism and Transnationalism

Much has been written in recent years about the emergence of an international labor market, its underlying dynamic, and its economic and political impact. But the cultural dimension of migration, the patterns of identity and attachment it gives rise to have received far less attention. The migration of people is now increasingly about the inter-nationalization of citizenship rather than the cultural or class homogenization of people in nation states. The oldest and one of the largest of the contemporary diasporas whose movement across the globe is based on labor migration, the Lebanese provide a particularly rich context in which the subject can be explored. Michael Humphrey reveals how Lebanese migrants have created their households, organized reciprocity in family life, formed urban communities, become workers, defined sectarian identities, transmitted religious culture and established Islamic institutions.