When I first saw the term \u201ctransnational history\u201d on the syllabus, i was excited to learn about such a board history, yet I was and remain sceptical. But through the weeks seminars and particularly after sitting with these articles and case studies (finally) I feel like I\u2019ve had a total \u201closs of innocence,\u201d as the EUI Global History Seminar Group says, regarding how I see our “connected” world. It turns out that transnationalism isn’t just about breezy travel; it\u2019s actually much more \u201csticky\u201d and complicated than the narrative we are usually sold.
I really felt for the PhD researchers who described their \u201cbitter taste\u201d (l\u2019amaro in bocca), as the EUI Global History Seminar Group says, after realizing that “Global History” often just replicates old power structures; neo-colonialism being one I view as being very fitting. They were debating these grand ideas while staring at each other from \u201ctiny video-boxes\u201d in their kitchens during lockdown, which is such a perfect, ironic image of our isolated reality. They pointed out that while we talk about being global, we usually just default to \u201cGlobish,\u201d as Jeremy Adelman says, which is a simplified version of English that keeps elite “Anglophone centres” in charge while everyone else is pushed to the margins.
One of the moments of clarity for me was the metaphor that Nancy Green says: \u201cwebs are sticky and also catch flies\u201d. As someone who has rarely travelled, I always pictured living across borders as a luxury, but for many, it becomes a \u201clegal labyrinth,\u201d as Nancy Green says. I learned about people like Gertrude Moulton, who spent years \u201cdrifting about in hotels,\u201d. Then there’s Lily, the Duchess of Mecklenburg, who \u201clost her US citizenship simply by marrying a foreigner,\u201d as Nancy Green says. In today’s climate, thinking about the US and ICE in particular, discussion and clarity regarding movement between borders is vital. Bringing another link between my interest in international relations and transnational history.
In the current climate, \u201cinternationalism\u201d takes on an elitist sentiment; if you’re rich and multi-national have homes in different countries, you\u2019re an \u2018expat\u2019, if more an immigrant. This is what made Ad Knotters reading so interesting to me. He discusses how \u201cinternationalism\u201d primary involved the labouring class. They were a “wandering” lot who used international networks to stop employers from bringing in \u201cstrike-breakers\u201d from other countries. My mother, a Nigerian Immigrant and an ex-NHS nurse faced similar parallels in the 21st Century, another sign as to how vital transnational history is for us now.
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