Dual loyalty is a term used in political discussions to describe, a situation where a person has loyalty to two separate interests which potentially conflict with each other.

Introduction

A classic example of political dual loyalty is a person who is a dual citizen or who is an immigrant living in one country, although the term is sometimes used in connection with people that have religious, cultural or political ties to a political interest other than the country of their primary residence. As opposed to ethical dual loyalty, which is often a self-described situation, political dual loyalty typically appears as an attack or a pejorative accusation designed to target and discredit a particular person or group, and to call into question the loyalty of that group to the country where they reside. As such, the accusation of "dual loyalty" is often used or co-opted by racist or xenophobic groups within a country, regardless of the original intent of the accusation. Multiple citizenship is simultaneous citizenship in two or more countries (whether it is recognized by all countries or not). ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Look up country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Politics is the process by which decisions are made within groups. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Loyalty is faithfulness or devotion to a person or cause. ... 1. ... Xenophobia means fear of strangers or the unknown and comes from the Greek ξενοφοβια, xenophobia, literally meaning fear of the strange. It is often used to describe fear of or dislike of foreigners, but racism in general is sometimes described as a...

A historical example of perceived political dual loyalties can be found in the history of the Second French Empire. Napoleon III was, in his early life, a member of the Italian anti-Austrian resistance movement, the Carbonari. According to some historians, Napoleon's pro-Italian and anti-Austrian sentiments deterred him from intervening in the Austro-Prussian War on the Austrian side. This allowed Prussia to gain sufficient strength to defeat France four years later in the Franco-Prussian War. (citation needed) The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Napoléon III Emperor of the French (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) was President of the French Republic from 1849 to 1852, and then Emperor of the French under the name Napoléon III from 1852 to 1870. ... The Carbonari (charcoal burners[1]) were groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century Italy. ... Combatants Austria, Saxony, Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Hanover and some minor German States (formerly as the German Confederation) Prussia, Italy, and some minor German States Strength 600,000 Austrians and German allies 500,000 Prussians and German allies 300,000 Italians Casualties 20,000 dead or wounded 37,000 dead... Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 Prussia (German: ; Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Lithuanian: ; Polish: ; Old Prussian: PrÅ«sa) was, most recently, a historic state originating in East Prussia, an area which for centuries had substantial influence on German and European history. ... Combatants Second French Empire North German Confederation allied with south German states (later German Empire) Commanders Napoleon III # Otto Von Bismarck Helmuth von Moltke the Elder Strength 800,000[] 550,000[] Casualties 150,000 dead or wounded 284,000 captured 350,000 civilian [] 70,000 dead or wounded 200,000...

Inherently controversial

While nearly all examples of alleged "dual loyalty" are considered highly controversial, these examples point to the inherent difficulty in distinguishing between what constitutes a "danger" of dual loyalty -- ie, that there exists a pair of misaligned interests -- versus what might be more simply a pair of partially aligned or even -- according to the party being accused -- a pair of fully aligned, interests. For example, immigrants to country who still have feelings of loyalty to their country of origin will often insist that their two (or more) loyalties do not conflict. As Stanley A. Renshon at The Center for Immigration Studies notes,

Lan Samantha Chang (1999), a novelist writing in response to the Wen Ho Lee case, could say in a New York Times op-ed piece entitled Debunking the Dual Loyalty Myth, "True, many immigrants have strong ties to their countries of birth...But cultural or familial loyalties are on a different level from political allegiances...I love China, but I am a citizen of the United States." Ms. Chang appears to want to distinguish a love for one's "home" country from being willing to commit treason against one's adopted one. This is obviously a fair, reasonable, and appropriate distinction.

Yet, in the process of making such a distinction, she acknowledges the duality of her feelings. The issue is not between love of one's country of origin and treason, but rather the multiple loyalties that appear to be part of many immigrants' psychology. [1]

Transnationalist interpretations

Some scholars refer to a growing trend of transnationalism and suggest that as societies become more heterogeneous and multi-cultural, the term "dual loyalty" increasingly becomes a meaningless bromide. According to the theory of transnationalism, migration (as well as other factors including improved global communication) produces new forms of identity that transcend traditional notions of physical and cultural space. Nina Glick Schiller, Linda Basch, and Cristina Blanc-Szanton define a process by which immigrants "link together" their country of origin and their country of settlement. The concept of transnationalism is focused on the heightened interconnectivity between people all around the world and the loosening of boundries between countries. ... Look up Heterogeneous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Multiculturalism is an ideology advocating that society should consist of, or at least allow and include, distinct cultural groups, with equal status. ... A bromide is a phrase, or person who uses phrases, which have been used and repeated so many times as to become either insincere in their meaning, or seem like an attempt at trying to explain the obvious. ...

The transnationalist view is that "dual loyalty" is a potentially positive expression of multi-culturalism, and can contribute to the diversity and strength of civil society. While this view is popular in many academic circles, others are skeptical of this idea. As one paper describes it,

On occasion, these imagined communities conform to the root meaning of transnational, extending beyond loyalties that connect to any specific place of origin or ethnic or national group. Yet what immigration scholars describe as transnationalism is usually its opposite... highly particularistic attachments antithetical to those by-products of globalization denoted by the concept of "transnational civil society" and its related manifestations. [2]

Beyond its usage in particular instances, the term "dual loyalty" versus "transnationalism" continues to be the subject of much debate. As one academic writes:

Although the events of September 11th may have shaken some assumptions -- at least in the United States -- about the nature of transnational networks and their capacity to facilitate flows of people, goods, and ideas across borders, the terms "globalization" and "transnationalism" remain relatively stable, albeit frustratingly imprecise additions to the language of social sciences, including anthropology. [3]

Historical accusations

Other historical examples of actual or perceived "dual loyalty" include the following:

• During World War II, a number of United States citizens of Japanese, German, and Italian ancestry, including some born in the U.S., were confined to internment camps. (See: Japanese internment in the United States)
• During John F. Kennedy's campaign for and brief tenure as U.S. President, some opponents questioned whether a Roman Catholic President of the United States had a divided loyalty with respect to the Papacy and Vatican City. (See: http://www.americanpresident.org/history/johnfkennedy/biography/theamericanfranchise.common.shtml)
• Throughout their history in the diaspora, Jews have frequently been accused of dual loyalty by their political opponents or anti-semitic detractors. Examples include the Dreyfuss Affair in France during the early 1900's, as well as accusations against ethnically Jewish Neoconservative foreign policy advocates in the United States during early 2000's. (See: Jewish Neoconservatives)
• The loyalty of many Americans to the U.S. government was called into question during the Cold War due to alleged Communist sympathies, resulting in "witch-hunts" of various government officials, celebrities and other citizens. (See: McCarthyism)
• Muslims living in Western countries, especially during periods of heightened tensions, such as after September 11, 2001, or during the Danish Cartoon Controversy of 2005-2006, are sometimes accused of being more loyal to the Muslim ummah than to their country. (See: http://www.cis.org/articles/2003/back603.html)
• "Dual loyalty" continues to be a concern of critics of U.S.'s immigration policy, particularly in those states which border Mexico(See: http://texnews.com/1998/opinion/chavez0408.html)
• The Hindu minority in Muslim majority Bangladesh is often accused of dual loyalty with neighboring India by the anti-Hindu Bangladesh Nationalist Party^[1][2].

Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... Kinship and descent is one of the major concepts of cultural anthropology. ... Internment camp for Japanese in Canada during World War II Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. ... Jerome Relocation Camp The Japanese American internment refers to the exclusion and subsequent removal of approximately 112,000 to 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans, officially described as persons of Japanese ancestry, 62% of whom were United States citizens, from the west coast of the United States during World War... For other persons named John Kennedy, see John Kennedy (disambiguation). ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tefutzah, scattered, or Galut גלות, exile) is the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout Babylonia and the Roman Empire. ... Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling Hate speech · Hate crime Lynching · Gay bashing Genocide · Holocaust Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing Pogrom · Race war Religious persecution Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism White/Black supremacy Hate groups · Kahanism Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism Womens/Universal suffrage Civil rights · Gay rights Childrens rights · Youth rights Policies Discriminatory... The Dreyfus Affair was a political scandal which divided France during the 1890s and early 1900s. ... Neoconservatism describes several distinct political ideologies which are considered new forms of conservatism. ... Neoconservatism describes several distinct political ideologies which are considered new forms of conservatism. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... A 1947 comic book published by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society warning of the dangers of a Communist takeover. ... The term Western World or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ... The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. ... Umma (Arabic: ‎) is an Arabic word meaning community or nation. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... Anti-Hindu leaflet launched by fundamentalist Christian churches Anti-Hindu prejudice is a negative perception against Hinduism, Hindus and Indian or Hindu culture. ... Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP) is currently a ruling political party in Bangladesh along with Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. ...

References

1. ^ Bangladesh slammed for persecution of Hindus,Rediff.com
2. ^ The Hindu Minority in Bangladesh: Legally Identified Enemies,Human Rights Documentation Centre

See also

• Dual citizenship
• Ethnic interest group
• Multiculturalism
• Fifth column