This document proposes scenarios for a transnational immigrant innovation network. Scenario 1 involves establishing diaspora capital financial entities to invest in immigrant communities and community financial centers. Scenario 2 proposes Digaai.com, a social networking site for Brazilians around the world to communicate, share experiences, and access information. Scenario 3 involves creating a Transnational Index that ranks communities by their level of transnationalism to increase awareness of these issues among policymakers and identify opportunities. The document also outlines designing the index and proposes a first generation innovation portfolio that includes the scenarios as well as additional programs and research projects.

1. Transnational Immigrant
Innovation Network
Alvaro Lima & Peter Plastrik
Innovation Network for Communities
(April 2008)

2. What if… (scenario 1)
 Diaspora Capital
 financial entity-driven investment in immigrant
communities
 community financial fitness centers
 remittance-based philanthropy for immigrant
communities
2

3. Low-income Immigrant Needs Versus Financial Offerings
Financial Needs of Low-income Immigrant
Cashing Checks
Paying Bills
Sending Money to
Families Bills Payment
Borrowing ( short
term loans, e.g.
payday loans)
Savings & Loans Small Check Cashing
Savings
Deposit Accounts Money Transfer
Mainstream Financial Institutions Non- Financial Institutions
Source: Alvaro Lima and Peter Plastrik, 2005.
3

4. Full-service Portfolio Structured to Serve the Life-cycle Needs of Immigrants
Insurance and Investments
Financial Education offered throughout the Life Cycle
BUILD • Health, life, auto, and home insurance
WEALTH!! AND • Savings bonds, pensions, other investment options
• Pension plans
GROW • Equity investments & Asset management
• Philanthropic investments
Credit and Loans
• Deposit secured emergency loans
RETAIN • Education Loans
CREDIT
• Flexible small business and home financing
• Enhancing credit history
Savings & Other Asset-building Products
CONVERT • Traditional savings accounts with some non-traditional features
• IDA-like accounts with more flexibility
SAVINGS • Children’s savings accounts
• Credit history building
Transactions & Payments
ATTRACT • Check cashing
INCOME AND • Bills payment
• Money transfer (remittances)
ACQUIRE • Value cards
• Low/No minimum balance deposit accounts
4

5. What if… (scenario 2)
 Digaai.com
 4 million Brazilians around the world:
 communicate home with each other (social
networking)
 register their experience/build unique archives
through video, photos, etc.
 search newspapers, magazines, websites, etc.
 contribute to Brazilian diaspora wiki
 store personal information using private web space
5

6. 6

7. What if… (scenario 3)
 Transnational Index
 What:
 Data and survey-based ranking of communities by their
degree of transnationalism
 Published annually in partnership with national media
 Why:
 create awareness among policy makers of transnational
phenomena
 identify social and commercial innovation opportunities for
transnational immigrant communities
 build consciousness among transnational immigrants of
unique potential 7

8. Designing the Index
8

9. The Transnational Lens
Traditional Lenses: Transnational Lenses:
immigration conceptualized as a bipolar relation immigration conceptualized as flows of cross-
between sending and receiving countries (moving border economic, political and social-cultural
from there to here) activities (being here and there)
emigration is the result of individual search for emigration is the result of geopolitical interests,
economic opportunity, political freedom, etc. global linkages, and economic globalization
migrants are assumed to be the poorest of the migrants are not the poorest of the poor nor do
poor they come from the poorest nations
immigrants occupy low-skilled jobs in growth in the service and technology-based jobs
agriculture, construction, and manufacturing create opportunities for low as well as high skilled
migrants
Immigrants steadily shift their contextual focus, After the initial movement, migrants continue to
economic and social activities to receiving maintain ties with their country of origin
country
immigration should not bring about significant immigration creates hybrid societies with a richer
change in the receiving society cultural milieu
9

10. A Transnational Immigrant
Innovation Network
10

11. 1st Generation Innovation Portfolio
Digaai.com
Transnational Index
Diaspora Capital Services
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Transnational Fellows
Research Projects (transnational immigrant organizations)
Publications
11