TOWARDS A THEORY OF ETHNIC-IDENTITY AND MIGRATION - THE FORMATION OF ETHNIC ENCLAVES BY MIGRANT GERMANS IN RUSSIA AND NORTH-AMERICA

This article explores the determinants for the maintenance of ethnic i dentity by comparing six groups of migrant Germans. The groups are eig hteenth century German peasants migrating to Volga Russia, thirteenth century migrants to Latvia, seventeenth century bureaucrats and trader s migrating to Moscow/St. Petersburg, eighteenth century peasant migra nts to Pennsylvania, nineteenth century Hutterite migrants to the Nort h American Midwest, and eighteenth century Volga German migrants to th e American Midwest. Notably, three of these groups assimilated into th e host society, while three of them formed ethnic enclaves. Comparison of the six cases indicated that what determined whether individuals c ould move their inheritable economic base. This is because in the immi grant situation it is the inheritable economic base which determines w ho the primary reference group will be.