TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards a theory of ethnic identity and migration

T2 - the formation of ethnic enclaves by migrant Germans in Russia and North America

AU - Waters, Tony

PY - 1995

Y1 - 1995

N2 - This article explores the determinants for the maintenance of ethnic identity by comparing six groups of migrant Germans. The groups are 18th century German peasants migrating to Volga Russia, 13 century migrants to Latvia, 17th century bureaucrats and traders migrating to Moscow/St Petersburg, 18th century peasants migrating to Pennsylvania, 19th century Hutterite migrants to the North American Midwest, and 18th century Volga German migrants to the American Midwest. Notably, three of these groups assimilated into the host society, while three of them formed ethnic enclaves. Comparison of the six cases indicate that what determined whether a group would maintain its identity or not depended on whether individuals could move their inheritable economic base. This is because in the immigrant situation it is the inheritable economic base which determines who the primary reference group will be. -Author

AB - This article explores the determinants for the maintenance of ethnic identity by comparing six groups of migrant Germans. The groups are 18th century German peasants migrating to Volga Russia, 13 century migrants to Latvia, 17th century bureaucrats and traders migrating to Moscow/St Petersburg, 18th century peasants migrating to Pennsylvania, 19th century Hutterite migrants to the North American Midwest, and 18th century Volga German migrants to the American Midwest. Notably, three of these groups assimilated into the host society, while three of them formed ethnic enclaves. Comparison of the six cases indicate that what determined whether a group would maintain its identity or not depended on whether individuals could move their inheritable economic base. This is because in the immigrant situation it is the inheritable economic base which determines who the primary reference group will be. -Author

KW - Sociology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029483417&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2307/2546792

DO - 10.2307/2546792

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:0029483417

VL - 29

SP - 515

EP - 544

JO - International Migration Review

JF - International Migration Review

SN - 0197-9183

IS - 2

ER -