Fragmented Homes and Dispersed Identities: The Dual Burden of African Diasporic Migration

Abstract

Migration has long been a defining factor in shaping African families, with economic and socio-political factors driving movement from the continent to different parts of the world. While migration offers financial stability, it also comes at a social cost - disrupting traditional family structures and weakening kinship ties. Second-generation migrants often struggle to navigate their hybrid identities, caught between their ancestral heritage and the cultural expectations of their host societies. This study explores the long-term implications of African transnational migration on family unity, cultural preservation, and identity formation. It particularly examines the experiences of children growing up as “transnational orphans” and the evolving concept of “home” in the African diaspora. This study adopts the use of historical approach in gathering and interpretation of data. This includes the use of both primary and secondary data. Primary data includes Interviews, Secondary data include books, journals among others. It also made use of a qualitative research design, using semi-structured interviews and case studies to explore personal migration experiences.