Diaspora groups have been a part of the international system since their conception. In a system where the dominant actors were the states, diasporas were more critical for the field of sociology than they were for political science. Changes we experienced in the international system over the past thirty years made it possible for smaller, non-state actors to become active. As a result, diaspora networks gained political power as a bridge between their home and host countries. The addition of a political dimension to the existing economic and cultural dimensions of these relationships elevates the status of these networks in the eyes of nation-states as potential partners. With this increasing power, new responsibilities that complicated these relationships emerged. This study first aims to define the changing meaning of the term diaspora with the addition of new groups. In order to do this, I will evaluate existing definitions and categorizations in the literature. Later on, I will focus on the relationship between diaspora groups and their homeland, as well as the countries they live in. The changing nature of these relationships presents these groups with new opportunities as well as risks.