December 27, 2009 
Author: Adriana TĂMĂŞAN
Abstract: The article is a historical and sociological study aiming to outline the shaping of the Kurdish diaspora in Europe throughout the 20th century. Considering the situation of a community recently created, the one of the Kurds in Romania,and based upon field research, the present study is investigating the causes of the Kurdish immigration in Romania, the time periods of maximum flow, the placement areas, the level of adaptation to the Romanian society, the level of conservation of their original identity and the relations with the authorities and the Romanian society. Our research has revealed the double orientation of the Kurds in Romania – one towards the country of origin and the other towards the host country – a feature which determines their perception in a wider context – that of the Kurdish diaspora symbolizing a social organization equally linked to the country of origin and to the host country. This perspective is providing the opportunity for a deeper outlook upon the social reality of the Kurds’ existence.
Keywords: diaspora, Europe, immigration, the Kurds, Romania.