In contrast to most studies of migration, which assume that migrants arrive from less developed countries to the industrialised world, where they suffer from discrimination, poor living conditions and downward social mobility, this book examines a different sort of diaspora – descendants of Japanese migrants or "Nikkei" – in Bolivia, who, after a history of organised migration, have achieved middle-class status in a developing country, while enjoying much symbolic capital among the majority population. Based on extensive original research, the book considers the everyday lives of Nikkei and their identity, discusses how despite their relative success they remain not fully integrated into Bolivia's imperfect pluricultural society and explores how they think about, and relate to, Japan.
1. Introduction 2. History of Japanese migration to Bolivia 3. How ethnic identities justify symbolic capital 4. The daily creation of ethnic boundaries 5. Dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in the comunidad japonesa 6. Nikkei ethnic associations’ rise and decline 7. Nikkei networks in Latin America and beyond 8. Searching for an economic basis 9. How the Nikkei relate to the Bolivian state 10. Conclusion
Biography
Yvonne Siemann completed her doctorate at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland.
