Cosmopolitan Encounters: Highly Skilled Latvians in London Problematise Ethnicity and ‘Eastern Europeanness’

Aija Lulle (Corresponding Author)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper I analyse the cosmopolitan aspirations of highly skilled Latvian migrants residing in London. In particular, I explore the nuanced modalities of ethnicity and ‘Eastern Europeanness’ and how these inform everyday encounters with people from different ethnicities and races, and when meeting co-ethnics in a global city. These encounters are illustrated with data, drawn from 18 in-depth interviews with Latvian graduates in London. I argue that such encounters are shaped and informed by the post-Soviet heritage, emerging understandings of inter-racial encounters, hegemonic discourses of ‘East’ and ‘West’, all embedded in specific power relations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)638-650
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Intercultural Studies
Volume41
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Sept 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • Cosmopolitan encounters
  • Eastern Europe
  • Latvia
  • London
  • skilled migration

Field of Science*

  • 6.4 Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music)
  • 5.4 Sociology

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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