Chapter Two. Diaspora, Migration, And The Foundations Of Inter-Cultural Trade

This chapter explores the various understandings of "diaspora" and shows how they fall short as frameworks for understanding the activities of the Sephardim in Amsterdam between 1595 and 1640. It explains how Patrick Manning's idea of "cross-community migration" offers a better framework with which to conceptualize new Christian trade networks and processes of affiliation and identification than does "diaspora". The chapter also discusses the formation of the various strands of the new Christian diaspora. As part of this discussion, it examines the nodes of the new Christian diaspora and discusses connections that Manoel Rodrigues Vega, Manoel Carvalho, and Bento Osorio had with these various places. Finally, the chapter explores the concept of "cross-community migration" as a conceptual framework with which to discuss the new Christians, in general, as well as the Sephardim in Amsterdam, specifically.Keywords: Amsterdam; Bento Osorio; cross-community migration; Manoel Carvalho; Manoel Rodrigues Vega; new Christian diaspora; new Christian trade networks; Patrick Manning; Sephardim