Suchergebnisse

This inquiry focuses upon one form of ethnic-collective action among Japanese-American entrepreneurs — in-group trade guilds. They emerge in response to exclusionary and inclusionary forces. The article extends middleman theory to account for ethnic-trade guilds that result from both exclusionary and inclusionary forces and proposes two additional perspectives – competition and enclave theory. Three factors are isolated: 1) interethnic competition, 2) the perceived reciprocal fairness of the resulting competition, and 3) the differential cohesion of ethnic networks. Although the findings support the first and third conditions, the second is questionable. Evidence suggests that ethnic-trade guilds engender more conflict (when competition is defined as unfair rather than fair) than heretofore proposed. Ethnic networks that extend beyond the narrow circle of niche participants constitute the primary building blocks in mobilizing a collective response to intergroup competition. Caution needs to be taken in overstating ethnic solidarity at the expense of a groups diversity, and an explanation of internal dissension is called for in interpreting the emergence of ethnic-collective action.

Japanese-American immigrants have developed, and at times have dominated, niches in the economy. Operating as a one-man business, the yard care worker (or maintenance gardener) is one telling case. Culturally rooted agricultural know-how and ethnic solidarity along common prefectural lines contributed to the growth of the ethnic trade. By closing options in the market, host hostility exacerbated ethnic fixations. Although marginal early on, the Japanese gardener became entrenched until such time that the succeeding generation, far better educated, moved out and up.

The integration of immigrants is a multidirectional process. A web of social contacts with the larger society, within the ethnic fold, or away from either to remain as isolates can be established. It is argued that the direction of integration is determined by the ability of the immigrant community to contain within its ethnic boundaries the social ties of its members. This is accomplished by the development of institutional completeness.