“Where Exactly is the Pacific?”: Global Migrations, Diasporic Movements, and Intercultural Communication

This essay examines the relationship between globalization and the diasporic movements of cultural groups as manifested in their communication practices of identity. I argue that diasporic groups dynamically reconstitute their understandings of cultural tradition, authenticity, and identity in line with their diasporic contexts and experiences. I frame my argument around two different diasporic Pacific Islander groups Tongans and Hawaiians—each situated in a particular kind of diasporic/global movement with specific historical, political, and economic dimensions. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with each of these groups in this study.