academic scholarship, I hypothesise that the seemingly disproportionate accumilation of economic, political, and cultural capital among Indians in Germany can be attributed to the Indian-German community's imagined transnational citizenship; and, while assimilation might have generally been the original goal of this migrant population, many of the policies pursued by the German government have necessitated an imagined Indo-German community.
The implications of "transnational citizenship" are complex, but a clear definition is needed before any analysis can be conducted. Transnational citizenship redefines traditional notions of citizenship and replaces an "individual's singular national loyalties with the ability to belong to multiple nation states, as made visible in the social, political, and economic realms."3
The growth of Asian American studies has helped develop certain qualitative methods that can be replicated when examining the broader Indian diaspora. While Germany and the United States are quite divergent, they are both Western democracies that are considered economic hegemonies and for many political scientists, they have similar immigration demography and politics.4 Therefore, it seems appropriate to draw some comparisons and utilise best practices established by Asian American scholarship; additionally, this research positions itself with many of the contexts and precautions of Asian American academia. Moreover, scholars are cautious when proscribing broad claims concerning specific racial groups, for fear of homogenisation or even essentialism. Kibria discusses the paradox of Asian American identity scholarship and politics:
4
At the same time, [Asian American Studies] has drawn self-conscious limits to this process by emphasising the fact that Asian America is not a culturally bounded entity but rather one that rises from the exigencies posed by racialization in the US. Analysts of the Asian American movement have noted the inherent and ongoing contradictions of a movement that builds solidarity around the very category that has been used to racialize, homogenize, and oppress those within it.5
3. Baubôck 2003
4. Baumann 1997