A Bridge Home: The Use of the Internet by Transnational Communities of Immigrants

For decades transnational communities of immigrants have used various forms of communication to maintain ties with their places of origin. The Internet constitutes an alternative medium through which the sense of community (SOC) can be reinforced and maintained across time and space. Transnational communities of immigrants are creating and enhancing virtual spaces for (re)creating and maintaining a SOC across national borders. This paper reviews research from different disciplines to understand how the Internet is shaping the ability of dispersed national groups to create, preserve and extend their SOC in virtual spaces. The theory of SOC applied to virtual communities provides the frame of reference in which this phenomenon is analysed. Based on our analysis of the literature we argue that the unique characteristics of communities of immigrants — such as shared histories, experiences, common country of origin, and offline interaction — shape the nature and dynamics of their interactions online.