WORKING PAPERS
Why Chile’s Voice Echoed Louder: the Impact of Refugee Influx on Transnational Solidarity
Abstract: Why do some national crises elicit stronger global responses than others? This paper answers this question by comparing the robust transnational solidarity mobilization sparked by Chile's 1973–89 dictatorship with the less pronounced reaction to Argentina's similarly violent regime. I argue that the arrival and integration of refugees were critical in amplifying and sustaining local solidarity efforts. I first show that Chilean exiles were significantly more likely than Argentine exiles to apply for and receive refugee status, despite facing similar asylum policies. This facilitated their integration into local advocacy networks, fostering stronger connections with activists than their Argentine counterparts. Drawing on a unique panel dataset of protest events across 24 countries, I then leverage city-level variation in refugee arrivals to demonstrate that solidarity efforts were more persistent in cities hosting larger refugee populations. The findings shed light on the impact of refugee influxes on awareness and engagement towards distant crisis among host-country residents.
Between Frontlines and Home: the Effect of Soldiers Returning from Refugee Camps on Pro-Palestinian Views in Norway with Madiha Z Sadiq
Abstract: How does a nation's support for one side of a conflict shift dramatically to the other? This paper examines how public opinion in Norway shifted from a strong pro-Israel stance in the 1970s to widespread criticism of Israel’s policies in the occupied territories by the early 1980s. To explain this change, we focus on the role of Norwegian UNIFIL peacekeeping soldiers returning from Lebanon from 1978 onwards. Combining panel data on public opinion with soldier records and original survey data, we exploit regional variation in soldiers' return locations to show how their mobility facilitated the transmission of new, first-hand information from the conflict zone to their home communities. As soldiers returned with first-hand experiences, their accounts spread through informal social networks, reshaping political attitudes within their local communities. The findings demonstrate how mobility can drive broader attitudinal shifts by enabling the diffusion of new, first-hand information through trusted in-group members.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Echoes of Inception: The Lasting Impact of Diaspora Formation on Transnational Mobilization
Abstract: Why do only some diasporas mobilize? Previous research has predominantly answered this question through a synchronic lens, focusing on emigrant groups' immediate readiness to mobilize. This paper argues that the extent of a diaspora's mobilization at its inception—or lack thereof—shapes its long-term capacity for collective action. Through a comparative study of five Latin American diasporas, I highlight the exceptional transnational mobilization of the Chilean diaspora during the 1970s, set against a broader historical context of regional dictatorships. This distinctive mobilization is linked to the formation of transnational activist networks and the development of a cohesive framing narrative, factors absent in the other cases. Turning to the Chilean diaspora's response to the 2019 uprisings in Chile, I demonstrate how these early foundations sustained their capacity for collective action over decades. By highlighting the enduring impact of initial mobilization dynamics on contemporary diaspora activism, this study addresses a critical gap in research on diaspora re-mobilization.
