At the most basic level, a diaspora refers to the displacement or relocation of a group of people from their homeland.  The word 'diaspora' once specifically referred to the exiles of the Jews from Israel, but now the terms openly refers to any group of people relocated for various reasons: political refugees, immigration, or slavery.

The phrase 'diasporic consciousness' examines the "active awareness of dislocation or exile," or the idea that the group as a collective are aware of their separation from their homeland and either seek to return to their native lands or take appropriate action to recognize and debate their separation (Glazier 430).

[Glazier, Jack. "Diasporic Consciousness among African Americans." Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World.Ed. Melvin Ember.  New York:  Springer Science+Business Media, 2005. 430-437. print.]