Towards a transatlantic dialogue in the study of immigrant political transnationalism

The purpose of this special issue is to establish to what extent the place in which immigrants settle might determine the types of political activity in which they engage. More precisely, we aim to ascertain whether and for what reasons different forms of transnational political activity develop in the United States and Europe. In this paper we ask what scientific use immigrant political transnationalism may have for the study of migrants’ political activities. We also articulate the limits of the concept and suggest some directions for future research in which knowledge is currently weak. Finally, we examine the comparability of transnational political phenomena as studied in the USA and Europe and discuss how this special issue contributes to the greater comparability we believe is necessary.