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Palgrave Macmillan

Diaspora and Soft Power

Influence of Indian American Elites in US Foreign Policy

  • Book
  • Aug 2025

Overview

Authors:
  1. Eva Loreng

    1. School of International Studies, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India

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  • Uses an interdisciplinary approach to understand Indian diaspora as a source of soft power in US foreign policy
  • Analyses extensive primary data from in-depth field interviews with people directly involved in advocacy work
  • Establishes a direct link between diaspora communities' exercise of soft power and foreign policy outcomes

Part of the book series: Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship (MDC)

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About this book

This book, based on in-depth field interviews, takes a fresh look at the phenomenon of diaspora communities exercising ‘soft power’ in the context of the Indian American diaspora in the US. By using an interdisciplinary approach, it marks a departure from the traditional study that measures the effectiveness of soft power sources by their popularity. Instead, it acknowledges the matrix of socio-economic and political factors, both internationally and domestically, which contribute towards the evolution of diaspora as a source of soft power. It focuses on how demography, policies and structural changes led to the evolution of an Indian American networking/strategic elite class. Exploring their participation in political fundraising and subsequent penetration into US foreign policymaking circles, this book analyses the foreign policy-related advocacy campaigns carried out by them and contributes to diaspora studies, foreign policy, international relations and political science.

Keywords

  • cultural hegemon
  • diaspora
  • foreign policy
  • homeland
  • identity
  • immigration laws
  • nationalism
  • nuclear deal
  • remittances
  • soft power
  • trust network

Authors and Affiliations

  • School of International Studies, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, India

    Eva Loreng

About the author

Eva Loreng is Assistant Professor at the School of International Studies, Central University of Gujarat, India. She extensively researched the participation of Indian Americans in the political systems of both India and the US and is also interested in Indian American food culture in the US, as well as the culture and traditions of the Sidis, an African origin community in India.  

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Diaspora and Soft Power

  • Book Subtitle: Influence of Indian American Elites in US Foreign Policy

  • Authors: Eva Loreng

  • Series Title: Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-91769-1Due: 16 August 2025

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-91772-1Due: 16 August 2026

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-91770-7Due: 16 August 2025

  • Series ISSN: 2662-2602

  • Series E-ISSN: 2662-2610

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XII, 210

  • Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 1 illustrations in colour

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