Characterized by their dispersal across several territories, peoples in diaspora do not necessarily renounce exchanges and dialogue between the different communities that make them up. Whether historic or recent, whether born of collective trauma or of more or less voluntary emigration, whether they have their own nation-state or not, many diasporas strive to maintain links and take action for the advancement of their interests. In the case of the Acadians, there is a major cultural event – the Congrès mondial acadien or World Acadian Congress, held every five years – that aims to reunite the vital forces of this community and revive, if only symbolically, the unity shattered during the Great Upheaval, i.e. the expulsion and exile of French settlers from Eastern Canada in the 18th century at the hands of the British Empire. What about other diasporas?

More fundamentally, what sociohistorical conditions foster a sense of belonging to these real and imagined communities—and thus, the desire to come together? What other means and mechanisms ensure such gatherings? What kinds of relationships to the homeland and the host country are privileged for diasporic communities? What roles do institutions, associations, government agencies, trade networks, tourism activities, transnational media, digital platforms, etc. play in this respect? Why and how are these transnational links cultivated? What effects and problems do these initiatives generate? What are the relationships with other communities in the same milieu? We invite specialists from different diasporas to consider these questions. 

To shed further light on these issues, we welcome submissions for Port Acadie’s double issue 44-45, to be published in late 2026. Port Acadie publishes refereed texts (in French or English) such as scholarly articles and research notes, as well as essays, reviews of academic and literary works, interviews, and creative works. Manuscripts for the Spring/Fall 2026 double issue must be received by 1st March 2026.

Manuscripts must follow the Chicago Manual of Style, whether using author-date format or footnotes, and should include a full bibliography. For more information, please visit https://www.usainteanne.ca/port-acadie or write to us at port-acadie@usainteanne.ca.